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The Myth and Truth of IP Address Tracking

The Myth and Truth of IP Address Tracking

Many people have the misconception that it is easy to trace the physical location of the computer that has been assigned an Internet IP address and thus identify the user of the computer.

It’s certainly not easy, and depending on who you are, it may not even be possible.

An IP or “Internet Protocol” address is the unique number assigned to each device, such as a computer on a network, so that data can be routed to and from that device and no other. Just as your postal address identifies the physical location of your mailbox and lets your mail carrier know where to deliver your mail, a device’s IP address is what lets the Internet know where to send data destined for your computer.

But while an IP address is like a physical address, it’s important to realize that it’s not what it really is.

IP addresses are not assigned based on where you are, but where you get your Internet connection from. The IP address that might be assigned to your computer at home could be radically different from the one assigned to your next door neighbor’s computer if you use different ISPs. Even if you used the same ISP, there are no rules or practices that make your IP addresses necessarily appear “close” to each other in any way other than the convenience of the ISP.

And yet, somehow, TV dramas and movies lead us to believe that with just an IP address, a criminal can be located in minutes.

It’s not that easy.

Publicly available information about an IP address will tell you which ISP provides that address and not much else. Additional information may be available indicating the general area an IP address might reside in, but that may be as general as just telling you what country you are in, or perhaps what city, but rarely if ever. Maybe something more specific. Services that claim to be able to pinpoint the location of a specific IP address using only publicly available information are misleading at best.

The ISP has the key. The ISP that “owns” the IP address assigned to your computer also knows where you live. That’s where they send their bill or connect the wires. If you have dial-up access, then they, along with the phone company, know which phone line you’re using to dial, and again, the phone company knows where that line ends.

Most ISPs adhere to a strict privacy policy that prevents them from disclosing that information to anyone. That is why you yourself can identify the ISP involved and nothing else.

You will need help.

This is where the legal system comes into the picture. The police and courts may, with just cause, request or even require that the information be provided. Typically, that involves law enforcement professionals going to a judge, providing evidence that there is reasonable cause to believe a crime has been committed, at which point the judge issues a court order compelling the ISP to disclose the information.

If there is nothing to suggest a crime has been committed, then in theory not even law enforcement can get the information.

This puts those who may be experiencing cyberbullying and other types of online harassment at a disadvantage. It means that as long as the activity remains “legal”, there is little that can be done to track down the offender. Fortunately, many places are implementing laws that more directly address these situations and that law enforcement can use to track down criminals.

While it’s important that IP-based location information is available when needed, your privacy is also a major concern. Since your computer’s IP address is readily available whenever you use the Internet, you don’t want someone randomly locating you when using it.

ISPs and service providers are important guardians of that privacy.

The truth is, yes, an IP address does, in fact, uniquely identify a computer’s connection to the Internet, and that information can be used to determine a physical location. However, the myth is that it is easy and it is not. Important privacy practices prevent that level of detail from being available to the general public; ISPs, service providers, and typically law enforcement must be involved.

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