cross-posted from: https://infosec.pub/post/51680197
Append “
_nomap” to the end of your SSIDs to instruct Google not to use your wi-fi access point for their mapping services.
To do the same for Apple, add “_optout” to the end of your SSIDs¹.To boycott both, the rumor is that Google’s “
_nomap” must be last, but Apple’s “_optout” flag must be in the penultimate position if and only if Google’s token is at the end. So you might have an SSID like “boycottCloudflare_optout_nomap” to boycott the baddies, for example. But note that “boycottCloudflare” is merely symbolic, to raise awareness of the web’s most harmful enshitifier.¹ sorry to say I have no reference to cite for the Apple rules. It’s just a rumor.
update
The Apple opt-out procedure has apparently changed to align with Google. Someone refers to this page for Apple.
update 2
Mapquest is suddenly gaining popularity.
Microsoft: https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/location-services-opt-out
For once, Microsoft actually has the more sensible approach. I don’t love having the self-report your MAC address for several reasons, but to add some arbitrary nonsense to your SSID (which is intended to help identify the networks you are broadcasting) is somehow worse.