Merge branch 'aude-master-patch-56d1' into 'master'

Advanced Privacy lets you manage in app trackers, IP address and location. It’s available as a widget and within the operating system settings.

## *Trackers Blocker*

## *Tracker Blocker*

<div class="text-center">

  <img src="/images/advanced_privacy_tracker_blocker.jpg" alt="">

A typical tracker consists of a software initiating requests from the device to send personal data to specific endpoints or APIs which collect connections' metadata while providing a service. The collection and aggregation of these data are used to track users' activity and behavior.

Tracing a tracker means having a look at which applications (or system components) are connecting to which endpoints (when, how much data, which data, ...).

Tracing a tracker means having a look at which applications (or system components) are connecting to which endpoints (when, how much data, which data...).

### How does it work

### How does it work?

*Trackers blockers* detect and block trackers when they perform DNS (Domain Name System) requests. The DNS is the first step of an Internet request: it transforms the name of a service (for instance `e.foundation`), to its current real address on the internet (for instance: `157.90.154.178`).  

*Tracker blockers* detect and block trackers when the latter perform DNS (Domain Name System) requests. The DNS is the first step of an Internet request: it transforms the name of a service (for instance `e.foundation`), to its current real address on the internet (for instance: `157.90.154.178`).  

We build and maintain a list of all URLs used by trackers, merging Exodus list, Adaway list and a set of custom /e/OS rules. Adaway list is used to establish a list of domains to block, Exodus to identify those domains with a clean name. Then, the low level DNS service of /e/OS sends each requested URL to Advanced Privacy. Advanced Privacy then logs each request to URL in the trackers list, and blocks them if the user required to block trackers in Advanced Privacy settings.

We build and maintain a list of all URLs used by trackers, merging Exodus list, Adaway list and a set of custom /e/OS rules. Adaway list is used to establish a list of domains to block, Exodus to identify those domains with a clean name. Then, the low level DNS service of /e/OS sends each requested URL to Advanced Privacy. Advanced Privacy then logs each request to URL in the tracker list, and blocks them if the user required to block trackers in Advanced Privacy settings.

### Weekly report

### Side effects

1. Some trackers URL could be mandatory to use services. In order to solve potential issues, we provide the ability to whitelist any tracker individually for any application.

2. There are more and more innovations around the DNS technology, like DoH (DNS Over HTTPS) or DoT (DNS Over TLS) which can bypass the low level DNS service of the system, and then be ignored by the trackers manager.

1. Some trackers' URL could be mandatory to use services. In order to solve potential issues, we provide the ability to whitelist any tracker individually for any application.

2. There are more and more innovations around the DNS technology, like DoH (DNS Over HTTPS) or DoT (DNS Over TLS) which can bypass the low level DNS service of the system, and then be ignored by the tracker manager.

3. The Tracker Blocker may sometimes indicate that a system app is loading trackers. This is not a false positive, but it also does not imply that a system app is tracking you. It happens when system apps use third-party plugins, such as [Mapbox](https://www.mapbox.com/) to display maps, which then may load its trackers.

   Sometimes Advanced Privacy indicates a tracker being loaded by the System. It's because in /e/ OS Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are managed by PWAPlayer, which is a system app. PWAPlayer does not load any trackers by itself but the websites browsed using PWAPlayer may load their trackers, which are ultimately blocked by Advanced Privacy.

Internet users have been using IP scrambling for years to bypass those strategies.

### How does it work

### How does it work?

Advanced Privacy is using an implementation of the Tor project. We extracted the core functionality from the [Orbot](https://github.com/guardianproject/orbot) application, and added a user interface on the top of it.

### Side effects

The implementation of Orbot bridges all the devices's Internet traffic through the Tor network. This was initially designed for [VPN Services](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/connectivity/vpn). That's why *Hide My IP* appears as a VPN in /e/OS. We are working on another solution to route the devices's traffic directly through Tor, to avoid this confusion.

*Hide My IP* also reduces bandwidth and increases latency (like 200ms - 500ms). This is a side effect of the Tor network architecture and behavior. Each Internet request goes through many Tor relays through the Internet to reach the final server, and also to come back to the device. Wandering on the internet makes them anonymous, but it also takes some time.

Finally, some services are using the IP address to compute users location. The user experience may be affected using those services, considering they will use the Tor output node IP address, and not the real one from users, as the Tor output node may be located anywhere in the world.

### Tips

The user can choose to provide their true IP to a defined list of apps. To do so they just need to enter the `Real IP address` entry on Advanced Privacy's homepage and untick the apps to which the real IP address can be provided.

Because of all the potential impacts, Advanced Privacy displays a permanent notification when the IP address is faked, it says `Real IP hidden`. Users who have understood the impacts of faking their IP can choose to remove this notification by long pressing on it, tapping on the cogwheel icon and untoggle the `Hide my IP flag` in the screen which opens.

## *Fake My Location*

But it is also used to track users: to know where they live, which store they go to, in which area they work and so to have precise profiles to push targeted advertising to them. Some other digital services can also use the location to limit the functionality against the location of users.  

### How does it work

### How does it work?

In Advanced Privacy, *Fake my location* takes advantage of existing low-level operating system features that we have connected to the Advanced Privacy User Interface to make it easy to use and hidden from applications. *Fake my location* bypasses the real location provided by the satellite radio navigation system or the network, and instead sends the one set by users to applications that are requiring location.

2. the navigation applications (MagicEarth, OsmAnd, Maps.ME, Waze...) will use the fake location. In order to users properly those applications, the users have to temporarily disable *Fake my location*.

3. We use [Mapbox](https://www.mapbox.com/) in order to display a map to the users while they play with location configuration. It will be detected as a tracker by the Tracker blocker feature. We are looking for an alternative.

4. automatic dark mode will trigger at wrong times, if the fake location is not on the same time zone as the user.

### Tips

The user can choose to provide their true location to a defined list of apps (for instance their navigation app or their weather app). To do so they just need to enter the `Geolocation` entry on Advanced Privacy's homepage and untick the apps to which the real location can be provided.

Because of all the potential impacts, Advanced Privacy displays a permanent notification when the location is faked, it says: `Fake location is on`. Users who have understood the impacts of faking their location can choose to remove this notification by long pressing on it, tapping on the cogwheel icon and untoggle the `Fake location flag` in the screen which opens.

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