Apple and Google are no friends of environmentalists, in part because:

  • Apple demonstrates contempt for #rightToRepair.
  • Google uses AI to help Total Energy find new places to drill for oil.

Including “_optout” in your SSID expresses your non-consent for Apple to keep track of your wi-fi access point. Including “_nomap” in your SSID expresses your non-consent for Google to keep track of your wi-fi access point for streetmap purposes. I believe “_nomap” must be at the very end, but Apple supposedly treats “_optout” appearing at the end OR penultimate position in order to not force mutual exclusivity with Google’s string.

Anything we can do to avoid feeding Google and Apple are a form of individual climate action – however minuscule in effect.