In an embodiment, a data processing method providing an improvement in filtering telemetry data received from mobile devices comprises receiving, from a mobile device, telemetry data comprising a plurality of probes, each probe identifying a location of the mobile device at a time of the probe, wherein the plurality of probes form first digital trace data identifying a path of the mobile device; determining, for a particular probe of the plurality of probes, a first attribute of the particular probe; determining whether the first attribute of the particular probe satisfies a first threshold; in response to satisfying the first threshold, deleting the particular probe from the plurality of probes and dividing the first digital trace data into second digital trace data and third digital trace data; performing an action using the second digital trace data and the third digital trace data