Prevent Meshtastic devices from being used to track people without their consent

[125devin]

Given that the Node ID does not currently ever change, people with bad intentions could use mesh sniffing devices to associate someone's full identity with a particular device and track their whereabouts while using the device. I urgently suggest that development begin on a mechanism for changing the Node IDs in such a way to make it difficult to do such tracking.

I spent a considerable number of hours on several days including but not exclusivly, chatting with a couple AIs and fleshing out my thoughts until ultimately I was presented with a summary that looked like a good representation of my current understanding of what implementing a variable Node ID would entail.

I then began searching for a place where architectural discussions about Meshtastic took place in order to present my idea to try to elicit some comments that could further my work on the topic. I posted a discussion with the title that began, "a chat with Gemini", and that is where I posted the AI generated summary.

[b8b8]

A person can run a private channel (with no public secondary) if they prefer to remain completely anonymous.

[caveman99]

The comparison to Wifi is a weak one. Rotating ID's are only viable in infrastructure networks, like wifi access points or for accessing server based services. In Peer to Peer networks like Meshtastic that ID is used to address another device you want to communicate with. Imagine a webserver constantly changing its IP address without telling some kind of central service (e.g. DNS) where it can be found now. Afaik there's no easy solution to this problem unless you wanna make new friends every day.

[125devin]

Yes of course, there is the difference in network topology. Wifi (as usually implemented) or cellular have base stations that facilitate all mobile communication in a star configuration; whereas, the mesh network has additional connections available between all mobile devices that can take the place of infrastructure nodes placed in high locations. Infrastructure is still useful, but not necessary.

Those mobile devices individually could decide to take themselves out of the area at any time and hopefully others will fill in and communication will continue among those still in a contiguous configuration. Rotating the node ID should be done in a way indistinguishable with one device moving away and another moving in.

The trick when changing the node ID would be to communicate that change over the encrypted private channels ahead of time so that all the friends have the new ID.

[caveman99]

You have no guaranteed delivery to your friends, so even PFS is not possible.

[125devin]

You reply so quickly. I am distracted by societal meltdown and am multitasking right now.

Some mechanisms for acknowledgment and lists for who has acknowledged and who had not would be needed. It could be an extended amount of time before all have acknowledged. Reattempting contact periodically might require a more powerful device--essentially a multiple device rolled into one. Additional benefits other than rotating IDs could make such an upgrade desirable.

The ones that cannot acknowledge possibly are the ones in the most need of communication and assistance. Hopefully everyone makes it back to the vicinity of base camp so that everyone can be updated.

[Terramoto]

For some reason when i read about changing the ID the only thing that came to mind was the good old SPAM.

Most people use VPNs to prevent tracking but i think that's mostly from ad companies, because authority one way or another will eventually get you, if they put an effort. I assume people that use TOR, use it for a specific task and use it as little as possible, so thinking Meshtastic i believe it would be easier to have two separate devices, one for general use and the other for special needs to be used sporadically, sniffing also depends on collecting enough data to mine.