Implement Silent, Tamper-Proof GPS Data Capture

Suggestion Box
1

Suggestion: Implement Silent, Tamper-Proof GPS Data Capture

To ensure data integrity and prevent user manipulation, the system should automatically capture GPS coordinates in the background without any user interaction or notification. This process should be:

  • Fully automatic: Triggered by predefined events (e.g., form submission, check-in, or scheduled intervals) without requiring user input.

  • Silent: No prompts, pop-ups, or visible indicators that might alert the user or allow them to interfere.

  • Tamper-resistant: Coordinates must be captured directly from the device’s GPS hardware (or trusted location services) and immediately stored or transmitted in a secure, read-only format.

  • Immutable: Once captured, the location data should be digitally signed or hashed to prevent post-capture editing or falsification.

This approach guarantees authentic, real-time geolocation data while eliminating opportunities for user alteration or spoofing.

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Hello,

I think we should implement a system for silent, tamper-proof GPS data capture. The idea is that whenever a key event happens the system would automatically and silently grab the GPS coordinates in the background.

3

This is already supported in the latest KoboCollect. See Question Types - ODK Docs

The background-geopoint question type lets you automatically capture a single geolocation in geopoint format when the user changes the value of another question. …

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i tried it, see below error, i uploaded the form to kobotoolbox global

image
image1764×671 105 KB

background_geopoint_example.xlsx (5.4 KB)

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Yeah, the Kobo Formbuilder doesn’t yet know how to interpret this new question type… However, you can still import the XLSForm into Kobo, deploy it successfully, and collect data with this background geopoint triggering whenever you change the response. You just wont be able to see it in Formbuilder, and will keep seeing this error should you try to edit your form in Formbuilder.

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I did what you said, its working now, thanks a lot

7

Just to be clear—informed consent is always required when collecting location data. From the documentation for background-geopoint:

Any time a survey with a background-geopoint question is opened in Collect, the enumerator will see a warning that the form tracks device location.

1 Like
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100% Correct. You cannot silently/secretly capture GPS locations without the user’s knowledge, and implied consent. This violates any number of privacy laws, in addition to the fact you can’t actually post apps to the Google Play Store that do such.

That said, the background-geopoint - and closely related start-geopoint - will occur once the form is begun and during form-filling without any further indications to (or confirmation from) the user. And once captured they cannot be readily subsequently ‘interfered with’.