Mobile carriers can track your location without your knowledge or consent using protocols called RRLP and LPP. These protocols allow carriers to send a silent command to your phone, prompting it to calculate its GPS coordinates and send them back. This process happens at a level that bypasses your phone's operating system, meaning you won't receive any notifications or prompts asking for permission. The baseband processor, which manages cellular communications, operates independently of the application processor, where your apps and permissions are managed. Originally designed for emergency services like E911, these protocols are now used in broader contexts, including real-time tracking by law enforcement. For example, the DEA has utilized these capabilities since 2006 to monitor suspects. Legal frameworks surrounding this practice remain murky, with some jurisdictions treating real-time tracking as a lesser legal standard compared to historical data. Other examples include Israel's Shin Bet agency using this technology during the COVID-19 pandemic to track infected individuals, demonstrating the potential for mass surveillance. Despite privacy controls on your phone, such as location permissions and VPNs, none affect this baseband-level tracking. Airplane mode is the only way to completely cut off communication, but that means losing phone capabilities. Apple is attempting to address this issue with its new in-house cellular modem in the iPhone 16e, which will allow for better management of control-plane location requests. However, until more comprehensive solutions are implemented, the ability for carriers to track your location remains largely unchecked.