ACComplice: Location inference using accelerometers on smartphones

Abstract

The security and privacy risks posed by smartphone sensors such as microphones and cameras have been well documented. However, the importance of accelerometers have been largely ignored. We show that accelerometer readings can be used to infer the trajectory and starting point of an individual who is driving. This raises concerns for two main reasons. First, unauthorized access to an individual's location is a serious invasion of privacy and security. Second, current smartphone operating systems allow any application to observe accelerometer readings without requiring special privileges. We demonstrate that accelerometers can be used to locate a device owner to within a 200 meter radius of the true location. Our results are comparable to the typical accuracy for handheld global positioning systems.