Spoofed and Confused

Navigating Life Under Israel's GPS Fog

The Fog of Mislocation

Imagine walking through Beirut with your favorite navigation app guiding you — only to realize you’ve been “teleported” to the middle of the airport in Amman Jordan, or Gaza, or even the Dominican Republic for one user who replied to my Instagram question while researching this piece. 

This is GPS spoofing in action, and it’s become a bizarre new reality for many in Lebanon since the October 7, 2023.

How does GPS even work?

Your phone’s GPS works by communicating with satellites orbiting Earth. These satellites constantly broadcast signals with information about their location and the exact time. Your phone’s GPS receiver listens to signals from at least four satellites and calculates your precise location based on how long it took for those signals to reach you.

It’s like a game of “triangulation,” where your phone measures distances to multiple satellites and pinpoints your spot on a map. The process is incredibly accurate — usually within a few meters — but depend…