{"id":123716,"date":"2020-12-01T09:40:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T06:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/can-websites-see-your-physical-location\/"},"modified":"2020-12-01T09:40:00","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T06:40:00","slug":"can-websites-see-your-physical-location","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-websites-see-your-physical-location\/","title":{"rendered":"#Can Websites See Your Physical Location?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3874673c12a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3874673c12a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-websites-see-your-physical-location\/#What_Your_IP_Address_Tells_Websites\" >What Your IP Address Tells Websites<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-websites-see-your-physical-location\/#Websites_Can_Ask_for_Your_Precise_Location\" >Websites Can Ask for Your Precise Location<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-websites-see-your-physical-location\/#How_Your_Devices_Can_Find_Your_Precise_Location\" >How Your Devices Can Find Your Precise Location<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-websites-see-your-physical-location\/#Big_Data_and_Cross-referencing_Location_Information\" >Big Data and Cross-referencing Location Information<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-websites-see-your-physical-location\/#VPNs_and_Hiding_Your_Location\" >VPNs and Hiding Your Location<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#Can Websites See Your Physical Location?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_699787\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-699787 size-full\" alt=\"An artist's rendering of a satellite orbiting the Earth.\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-illustration\/space-satellite-orbiting-earth-3d-rendering-1372134458\" data-credittext=\"Boris Rabtsevich\/Shutterstock.com\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-illustration\/space-satellite-orbiting-earth-3d-rendering-1372134458\">Boris Rabtsevich\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Websites you access can determine your physical geographical location in a few ways. Your IP address reveals your <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> area\u2014unless you use a VPN. Websites can also ask for a more precise location.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Your_IP_Address_Tells_Websites\"><\/span>What Your IP Address Tells Websites<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Your internet service provider gives you a public IP address. All the devices on your home network share that IP address,\u00a0and your address is unique on the internet.<\/p>\n<p>When you connect to a website, that website then sees your IP address. Your computer connects to the website\u2019s IP address, and the website sends data back to your IP address. Packets are transmitted through network routers, and the IP address on those packets tells the routers where they need to go.<\/p>\n<p>However, websites can\u2019t trace that unique IP address to your physical home or business address. Instead, websites can tie your IP address to your internet service provider, city, region, and even possibly your ZIP code. This is why you see ads for local businesses in your area online, for example.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, if you go to a website like this\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/tools.keycdn.com\/geo\">IP Location Finder<\/a>, you\u2019ll see that the website can use your IP address to determine the name of your internet service provider, along with your local city, region, and country.<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s all the information websites can get. They don\u2019t know your physical address within that city or region.<\/p>\n<p>While this usually works well, it isn\u2019t perfect. Websites may sometimes think your home IP address is in a different city from the one you live in, for example.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Websites_Can_Ask_for_Your_Precise_Location\"><\/span>Websites Can Ask for Your Precise Location<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Websites can sometimes see your precise physical location, but they have to ask you first. When a website asks for your location, modern web browsers show a permission prompt.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a weather website may want to show you the weather down to your precise location, or a retail store\u2019s website might want to show you all its nearby stores and their precise distance from your location. A m<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ing website could use your physical location to provide navigation directions and so on.<\/p>\n<p>When a website wants this access, you\u2019ll see a prompt in your browser asking for it. If you give the website permanent access to your location, it can always see your location without having to ask again whenever you load the website in your browser.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignnone wp-image-699785 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/xgoogle-asking-for-location-in-chrome.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.HWqkrzGYzS.png\" alt=\"Google asking for your location in Chrome on Windows 10\" width=\"650\" height=\"213\"\/><\/p>\n<p>To check which websites can see your location, you\u2019ll need to check your browser\u2019s settings. For example, in Chrome, click Menu &gt; Settings &gt; Site Settings &gt; Location. You\u2019ll see a list of websites that are allowed to see your location under the \u201cAllow\u201d heading.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll also see a placemark indicator in Chrome\u2019s address bar when a website has accessed your location. Other browsers work similarly, providing a visual indication that this has occurred on the current page.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignnone wp-image-699786 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/xlocation-access-allowed-in-chrome.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.-8Lhaff4P3.png\" alt=\"Google Chrome pop-up showing location access it allowed on a website.\" width=\"650\" height=\"296\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Your_Devices_Can_Find_Your_Precise_Location\"><\/span>How Your Devices Can Find Your Precise Location<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you use a phone or tablet with a built-in GPS radio, your precise location is determined using GPS, and then provided to the website. That\u2019s how it works with location services in apps on iPhone, iPad, Android, and even some Windows 10 tablets.<\/p>\n<p>But what if you\u2019re just using a computer? Well, your device can use Wi-Fi-based location services. By scanning for a list of nearby Wi-Fi networks and their relative signal strengths, your precise location can be estimated and then provided to the website if you choose to allow it. This same feature is used on mobile platforms when there isn\u2019t a solid GPS signal.<\/p>\n<p>And what if you\u2019re using a computer without a Wi-Fi radio\u2014in other words, just a PC plugged into an Ethernet cable? In this scenario, you won\u2019t be able to give a precise physical location to a website. If you try, you\u2019ll just end up providing a more general location based on your IP address\u2014likely just the city or area you live in.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Big_Data_and_Cross-referencing_Location_Information\"><\/span>Big Data and Cross-referencing Location Information<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>By the way, it\u2019s technically possible for websites and advertising networks to cross-reference data. They might be able to tie your IP address to a physical address, for example.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, let\u2019s say that you have multiple devices on your network, and they all share a single IP address\u2014the usual situation. Now, let\u2019s say one device on the network goes to a particular website, which we\u2019ll call \u201cExampleCorp,\u201d and gives it access to your precise location. ExampleCorp now knows the current physical address associated with the IP address.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s say that you head to the ExampleCorp on another device and deny it access to your precise location. ExampleCorp\u2019s website may not act like it has your precise location. However, ExampleCorp knows your IP address, and it knows that the IP address was tied to a specific location.<\/p>\n<p>We don\u2019t know how many companies are tying this data together in this fashion. However, some websites and advertising tracking networks likely are. It\u2019s certainly possible with the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> they have.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VPNs_and_Hiding_Your_Location\"><\/span>VPNs and Hiding Your Location<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you really want to hide your physical location from a website, you can use a VPN (virtual private network)\u00a0Or, for additional privacy at the cost of speed, use Tor.<\/p>\n<p>When you access a website through a VPN, you connect directly to the VPN server, and the VPN server connects to the website on your behalf. It functions as a middleman, passing traffic back and forth.<\/p>\n<p>So, when you access a website through a VPN, the website will see that VPN\u2019s IP address, but it won\u2019t know your IP address. This is how VPNs allow you to bypass geographical restrictions on the web. If a website or streaming service is only available in the U.K. and you\u2019re in the U.S., you can connect to a U.K.-based VPN and access the website. After all, the website thinks you\u2019re connecting from the VPN\u2019s address in the U.K.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Is a VPN, and Why Would I Need One?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/699265\/can-websites-see-your-physical-location\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Can Websites See Your Physical Location?&#8221; Boris Rabtsevich\/Shutterstock.com Websites you access can determine your physical geographical location in a few ways. Your IP address reveals your general area\u2014unless you use a VPN. Websites can also ask for a more precise location. What Your IP Address Tells Websites Your internet service provider gives you a public&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":123717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/thumbcache\/2\/200\/f92915b2db927f61a247f8998d6f2357\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/satellite.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}