The live food delivery tracking feature that is commonly available when ordering food online is intriguing and eliminates any concerns about timely delivery. However, there was a flaw in this system that allowed for GPS spoofing, creating challenges for food delivery applications.
GPS spoofing is not an easy task, but there are various GPS spoofing apps available on the Google Play Store for Android devices. Similarly, it can be done on iOS devices by jailbreaking them. Swiggy has previously dealt with this issue, and we will discuss the measures they have taken to handle GPS spoofing.
What Measures Has Swiggy Taken to Stop GPS Spoofing?
While both Android and iOS can display fake GPS locations, this is accessible to anyone and thus not a major issue. The real problem arises when people use app cloners and GPS spoofing apps and change application package names to create illusions of Swiggy’s in-app mechanism. However, Swiggy’s team was able to identify instances of GPS location spoofing and take appropriate action.
The efforts of Mehar Kaila, AB Alex, and Sabrinath Selvam in developing driver-side checks have allowed Swiggy’s app mechanism to automatically detect GPS spoofing. Swiggy’s team has also compiled a list of apps that spoof GPS location and has restricted their use while using the Swiggy app. Additionally, the developers have added a fallback check that forces the user to download the latest version of the app upon login.
In addition to these measures, the user must pass various checks when opening the app to evaluate whether the package name is intact and the installation path is accurate. If the in-app mechanism detects that the user is using a clone app, Swiggy will block the user and prevent them from placing any orders using a fake location. If the user is already logged into Swiggy when this is detected, their current order will be processed, but no further orders will be accepted at that time.
As a result of these solutions, Swiggy has seen a significant decrease in the misuse of their app, and their delivery partners are now more secure against GPS spoofing fraud. However, as we all know, the fight against fraud is ongoing, and there is always the possibility that individuals will attempt to find new ways to misuse the app. Nevertheless, Swiggy has pledged to continue adding more in-app checks to prevent such occurrences.
To summarise, there have been instances of GPS spoofing being used to misuse the Swiggy app. In response, Swiggy has implemented several in-app checks to address this issue. They have also disallowed certain apps from running while the Swiggy app is in use. Furthermore, if a user attempts to use GPS spoofing again, the Swiggy app will block their order. These are the measures that Swiggy has taken to address this issue, and they have promised to continue adding more in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. Can fake GPS be detected?
Ans. Swiggy’s new controls allow the app to detect fake GPS.
Q2. How can mock location detection be bypassed?
The Dr.Fone application can be used to bypass mock location detection.
Q3. How do I activate a fake GPS app?
Ans. Fake GPS apps can be activated in the same way as any other app, through the Google Play Store.
Q4. Is a VPN the same as a fake GPS?
Ans. No, a VPN cannot change your location on its own unless you configure it to do so.