# Would wireless mouse/keyboard reveal my location and identity?

**URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/would-wireless-mouse-keyboard-reveal-my-location-and-identity/40459
**Category:** Questions
**Created:** 2026-09-04T00:56:18Z
**Posts:** 3

## Post 1 by @Warrior — 2026-09-04T00:56:18Z

Hi all. I am considering to buy a wireless mouse/keyboard but I recently learned that all WiFi/Bluetooth hardware keep broadcasting their unique (even if randomized, but fixed) MAC to all surrounding available networks (including hidden ones). So if I buy my keyboard/mouse form Amazon and Amazon share this data with anyone (or their data leaks through CIA’s backdoor :wink: ), it might reveal that I own this keyboard/mouse and reveal my location. First, could you please tell me if my assumption is correct? If so, are there mice/keyboards that I can buy that randomize their MAC for WiFi or Bluetooth so identity-matching wouldn’t be a problem?

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## Post 2 by @Potency — 2026-09-04T09:25:27Z

Hi Warrior, it’s a very interesting question. In my RSS feed I saw that some company had developed a new open source mouse/keyboard, meaning that the code is fully open and available. One would think what is the big deal, but as you mentioned most commercial hardware is not private at all or debatable at least.

You will have to go for opensource hardware but you’ll have to do the research yourself

Here is a [Blogpost](https://aftermath.site/i-need-an-open-source-mouse-so-i-never-have-to-look-at-razer-synapse-again/) about the topic

A company that actually makes opensource mouse [Ploopy](https://ploopy.co/)

the hardware and firmware run on QMK

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## Post 3 by @not-wittingly — 2026-09-04T12:01:05Z

You can’t randomise a bluetooth MAC address, the protocol doesn’t work that way. So yes, if your device is operating via bluetooth, then it would be constantly transmitting a unique identifier and it is could represent a possible threat vector.

I know with Apple’s find my network they use Bluetooth. Even Airpods, with no network connection, that bluetooth address is transmitted to an iPhone or something with network connectivity, and then that pings the Airpods location back to Apple. So there is a basis I suppose for this stuff being shared via network connections of third party devices.

And look I’m sure if Edward Snowden was using an external keyboard during the leaks it would not have been wireless, but you have to ask yourself if realistically, that could be a threat for you.