Google admits to tracking users even when their location history settings is turned off

6 years, 7 months ago

Google admits to tracking users even when their location history settings is turned off

Earlier this week, Google grabbed headlines owing to an investigative report which stated that the search engine giant was tracking users' location even when their location tracking settings was turned off. "We have been updating the explanatory language about Location History to make it more consistent and clear across our platforms and help centers," Google said in a statement to AP. Earlier, the investigation by AP found out that even when users turned off their location history, some Google apps automatically stored time-stamped location data without seeking permission from the users. Notably, this is not the first time that Google has been accused of tracking users' location even when their phone settings are turned off.

History Location Google Users Tracking Location History

Explained | Why Google’s location tracking settlement made history

2 years, 4 months ago

Explained | Why Google’s location tracking settlement made history

Information

Google agrees to pay $391 mn in users' location data tracking lawsuit

2 years, 5 months ago

Google agrees to pay $391 mn in users' location data tracking lawsuit

Data

Google’s ‘constant surveillance’ of users makes it ‘nearly impossible for users to stop’, lawsuit alleges

3 years, 2 months ago

Google’s ‘constant surveillance’ of users makes it ‘nearly impossible for users to stop’, lawsuit alleges

The Independent

Location

Google reportedly never stops sharing your location, even if you turn off location sharing

3 years, 2 months ago

Google reportedly never stops sharing your location, even if you turn off location sharing

Data

Google purposely made it harder for smartphone users to keep their location private, new documents allege

3 years, 10 months ago

Google purposely made it harder for smartphone users to keep their location private, new documents allege

The Independent

Independent

Google Deliberately Made It Difficult For Android Users To Find Privacy Settings: Report

3 years, 10 months ago

Google Deliberately Made It Difficult For Android Users To Find Privacy Settings: Report

Location

Australia says Google “partially” misled some consumers over collection and use of location data

4 years ago

Australia says Google “partially” misled some consumers over collection and use of location data

Consumer

Google will automatically delete location history, web and app activity for new users, check out other updates

4 years, 9 months ago

Google will automatically delete location history, web and app activity for new users, check out other updates

History

Google will now automatically delete your location, web history after 18 months

4 years, 9 months ago

Google will now automatically delete your location, web history after 18 months

Google

Arizona sues Google over ‘deceptive’ location tracking

4 years, 10 months ago

Arizona sues Google over ‘deceptive’ location tracking

Associated Press

Location Tracking

Facebook tracks users even with location permission turned off: Here's how

5 years, 3 months ago

Facebook tracks users even with location permission turned off: Here's how

Location

Google promises better privacy tools, smarter AI assistant

5 years, 11 months ago

Google promises better privacy tools, smarter AI assistant

Privacy

Google will now let you auto-delete your location tracking data

5 years, 11 months ago

Google will now let you auto-delete your location tracking data

Data

Europe wants privacy regulators to act against Google's location tracking

6 years, 4 months ago

Europe wants privacy regulators to act against Google's location tracking

Europe

Google sued over its user tracking after firm admits it tracks users location after tool is disabled

6 years, 7 months ago

Google sued over its user tracking after firm admits it tracks users location after tool is disabled

History

How Google tracks your location, and how you can prevent it from doing so

6 years, 7 months ago

How Google tracks your location, and how you can prevent it from doing so

History

Google admits to tracking users even after they turn off location tracking

6 years, 7 months ago

Google admits to tracking users even after they turn off location tracking

History

Google says it tracks location even when location history is turned off

6 years, 7 months ago

Google says it tracks location even when location history is turned off

History

Google clarifies how it tracks a user's location even if they turn the setting off

6 years, 7 months ago

Google clarifies how it tracks a user's location even if they turn the setting off

History

Google stores location data 'even when users have told it not to'

6 years, 8 months ago

Google stores location data 'even when users have told it not to'

The Independent

History

Experts say that Google storing location data has strong potential for abuse

6 years, 8 months ago

Experts say that Google storing location data has strong potential for abuse

Data

AP Exclusive: Google tracks your movements, like it or not

6 years, 8 months ago

AP Exclusive: Google tracks your movements, like it or not

Associated Press

History

Google Tracks You Even If Location History's Off. Here's How to Stop It

55 years, 3 months ago

Google Tracks You Even If Location History's Off. Here's How to Stop It

History

Google is storing user location data from your phones, despite being told not to

6 years, 8 months ago

Google is storing user location data from your phones, despite being told not to

History

Google caught tracking phone users even when location tracking permission is denied

6 years, 8 months ago

Google caught tracking phone users even when location tracking permission is denied

History

Location Tracking? We Do It Too: Google

13 years, 11 months ago

Location Tracking? We Do It Too: Google

Google

Reports: There's No Way To Keep iPhone From Collecting Location Data

13 years, 11 months ago

Reports: There's No Way To Keep iPhone From Collecting Location Data

Data

Discover Related

Security warning to all 1.4 billion iPhone users to turn off three settings that are on by default

1 month, 1 week ago

Security warning to all 1.4 billion iPhone users to turn off three settings that are on by default

Many Apple users likely have automatic Wi-Fi, location services and tracking enabled at all times, but tech experts warned these settings could leak data to hackers. To see which apps …

Data Access Information Location

One Tech Tip: How to block your phone from tracking your location

2 months, 1 week ago

One Tech Tip: How to block your phone from tracking your location

LONDON — Smartphones are useful tools for everyday life, but they’re privy to nearly everything about you, including all the places you’ve been — if you let them. Here are …

Associated Press

Data Location Google Apps

Google Maps to delete your location history soon: Know-why

4 months, 2 weeks ago

Google Maps to delete your location history soon: Know-why

Google has announced a significant change to its location history feature on Maps, which has been affecting millions of users. Since December 1, 2023, the tech giant has been deleting …

History Data Location Google

Switching Off This 1 Phone Setting Could Instantly Help Protect Your Safety

4 months, 3 weeks ago

Switching Off This 1 Phone Setting Could Instantly Help Protect Your Safety

Milan Markovic via Getty Images At this point, most of us have happily dumped our entire lives into the cloud — we have our pictures, credit information, and so much …

Location Need Your Location Hutnik

Find my iPhone: Why tracking your partner’s mobile is a slippery slope

6 months, 2 weeks ago

Find my iPhone: Why tracking your partner’s mobile is a slippery slope

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, …

The Independent

Safety Relationship Location Grace

New Google Maps feature to store location history on your device: Know-how

10 months, 1 week ago

New Google Maps feature to store location history on your device: Know-how

Google has significantly updated the Maps app’s privacy, focusing on how it handles users’ location data. It was earlier when Maps' location history was stored on Google’s servers, but this …

History Data Location Google

Google and Apple join hands to help users know if they are being tracked by someone

11 months ago

Google and Apple join hands to help users know if they are being tracked by someone

Google and Apple, the two tech giants often seen as competitors, have joined forces to address a common concern: unwanted location tracking. The companies have collaborated to develop an industry …

Google Apple Bluetooth Tracker Help Users

Switching Off 1 Phone Setting Could Help Protect Your Safety

1 year ago

Switching Off 1 Phone Setting Could Help Protect Your Safety

Milan Markovic via Getty Images At this point, most of us have happily dumped our entire lives into the cloud — we have our pictures, credit information, and so much …

Location Need Your Location Hutnik

Google Maps Has A Private Mode For Users: All You Need To Know

1 year, 2 months ago

Google Maps Has A Private Mode For Users: All You Need To Know

Launched in 2005, Google Maps is one of the tech giant's leading web mapping platform and consumer application that offers real-time traffic conditions, satellite imagery, street maps, 360-degree interactive panoramic …

News 18

Google App Maps Mode

Google to stop sharing location data of people with police, will not respond to geofence warrants

1 year, 4 months ago

Google to stop sharing location data of people with police, will not respond to geofence warrants

Google has announced some major changes to its Maps services which are set to enhance privacy for its users by a long mile. Google revealed that, for users who opt …

Law Enforcement Privacy Data Location

These 3 new features on Google Maps will change your navigation experience | Deets inside

1 year, 4 months ago

These 3 new features on Google Maps will change your navigation experience | Deets inside

Google Maps New Privacy Features: Google Maps is rolling out three new features to give users more control over their location data. Building on existing tools like auto-delete and Incognito …

Data Location Maps Google Maps

Google Maps to add new Timeline feature to remember places you visited

1 year, 4 months ago

Google Maps to add new Timeline feature to remember places you visited

Google Maps to add new Timeline feature to remember places you visited Google stated, "If you’re getting a new phone or are worried about losing your existing one, you can …

Data Google Feature Google Maps

California settles with Google over location privacy practices for $93 million

1 year, 7 months ago

California settles with Google over location privacy practices for $93 million

Search giant Google agreed to a $93 million settlement with the State of California on September 14 over its location-privacy practices. The settlement follows a $391.5 million settlement with 40 …

Location Google Track

Scared about your privacy? Here's how to turn off precise location feature in iPhones

2 years, 7 months ago

Scared about your privacy? Here's how to turn off precise location feature in iPhones

If you are a smartphone user, you must have noticed newly-installed apps requesting you to give access to your location. Apple’s iOS 15 allows you to switch off the precise …

Access Location Apps App

The Most Popular Period-Tracking Apps, Ranked by Data Privacy

2 years, 8 months ago

The Most Popular Period-Tracking Apps, Ranked by Data Privacy

This not only shifts the burden of risk assessment to individual users, but also makes evaluating the privacy and security of apps difficult to begin with. While Stardust expresses a …

Wired

Privacy Data Information Apps

Erasing location data

2 years, 9 months ago

Erasing location data

Dear reader - - due to a software glitch past two cache newsletters were delivered incorrectly. Following the top court’s ruling, Google has said it will delete users’ location data …

Data Location Google Location Data

Google to erase more location info as abortion bans expand

2 years, 9 months ago

Google to erase more location info as abortion bans expand

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has …

Associated Press

Abortion Google

Facebook Is Ending Several Location Tracking Services: Here's Why And What Happens To Location Data

2 years, 11 months ago

Facebook Is Ending Several Location Tracking Services: Here's Why And What Happens To Location Data

Meta-owned social media platform Facebook is discountinuing several of its services that tracked users’ real-time location due to “low usage," as recently spotted by 9to5Mac. Facebook services like Nearby Friends, …

News 18

Data Location Location Data Location Information

Facebook Is Shutting Down Two Features That Needs Your Location

2 years, 11 months ago

Facebook Is Shutting Down Two Features That Needs Your Location

Facebook relies on location access to give you a host of features, and from later this month it plans to stop using it for two of its known options. Nearby …

News 18

Features Location Facebook Your Location

DC, 3 states sue Google saying it invades users’ privacy

3 years, 2 months ago

DC, 3 states sue Google saying it invades users’ privacy

WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia and three states are suing Google for allegedly deceiving consumers and invading their privacy by making it nearly impossible for them to stop their …

Associated Press

Search Google Location Data State

D.C. and 3 states sue Google, saying it invades users’ privacy

3 years, 2 months ago

D.C. and 3 states sue Google, saying it invades users’ privacy

A lawsuit accuses Google of deceiving consumers and invading their privacy by making it nearly impossible for them to stop their location from being tracked. Google has “an unprecedented ability …

LA Times

Data Location Search Google

DC, Texas sue Google over location tracking practices

3 years, 2 months ago

DC, Texas sue Google over location tracking practices

The suit alleges Google misled US consumers by continuing to track their locations even when users sought to prevent it. Texas and the District of Columbia sued Alphabet Inc’s Google …

Location Google Texas Users

Android users’ location tracked by ‘snooping beacon’ technology in apps - despite it being banned by Google

3 years, 6 months ago

Android users’ location tracked by ‘snooping beacon’ technology in apps - despite it being banned by Google

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I …

The Independent

Data Location Google Apps

How to automatically delete your location history on Google Maps

3 years, 7 months ago

How to automatically delete your location history on Google Maps

Google Maps is one of the most widely used services nowadays. You can choose to automatically delete the location history on Google Maps that is older than 3 months, 18 …

Location Maps Google Maps Delete

A Simple Software Fix Could Limit Location Data Sharing

3 years, 8 months ago

A Simple Software Fix Could Limit Location Data Sharing

Location data sharing from wireless carriers has been a major privacy issue in recent years. At the Usenix security conference on Thursday, though, network security researchers Paul Schmitt of Princeton …

Wired

Privacy Data Location Sim

Google's New Policy Aims to Block Advertisement Targeting of Under-18 Users

3 years, 8 months ago

Google's New Policy Aims to Block Advertisement Targeting of Under-18 Users

Alphabet’s Google is blocking ad targeting based on the age, gender or interests of people under 18, the company said on Tuesday. Google is introducing a new policy for all …

News 18

Google Youtube User Users

How to turn Instagram location services on or off on your iPhone: All you need to know

3 years, 9 months ago

How to turn Instagram location services on or off on your iPhone: All you need to know

Instagram is an American photo and video sharing social networking service. In particular, the iPhone has an inbuilt location service that allows the phone to determine the current location and …

Location Instagram Iphone Users

Google may create Apple Find My-like network for Android soon

3 years, 9 months ago

Google may create Apple Find My-like network for Android soon

Google is reportedly working on a crowdsourced network to locate its devices, much like Apple’s Find My network. The findings suggest that Google will make use of Google Play Services …

Google Android Network Devices

Google I/O 2021: All Privacy, Security Features Coming to Android, Search and More

3 years, 10 months ago

Google I/O 2021: All Privacy, Security Features Coming to Android, Search and More

Google I/O 2021 has begun, and the introductory keynote was hosted last night. Android: Privacy dashboard, indicators, Private Compute Core Google’s big privacy move with Android 12 is a ‘Privacy …

News 18

Data Search Google Android

Australian judge rules Google misled Android users on data

4 years ago

Australian judge rules Google misled Android users on data

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to …

The Independent

Data Location Google Android

Google ends sale of ads using individual web tracking data

4 years, 1 month ago

Google ends sale of ads using individual web tracking data

LONDON — Google says it won’t develop new ways to follow individual users across the internet after it phases out existing ad-tracking technology from its Chrome browser, a change that …

Associated Press

Privacy Search Google Cookies

Moved to Signal? Good, now take a look at Facebook, Instagram and Chrome on your phone

4 years, 3 months ago

Moved to Signal? Good, now take a look at Facebook, Instagram and Chrome on your phone

The recent change in its policies by WhatsApp has led to an outcry against the instant messaging app. Here is the data collected by WhatsApp: Phone Number, Email Address, Contacts, …

History Data Protection Location Google

WhatsApp has changed its terms and conditions for use, here is what it means for you

4 years, 3 months ago

WhatsApp has changed its terms and conditions for use, here is what it means for you

Social media platforms were buzzing as users started getting an in-app notification on WhatsApp between late Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, informing them about the new platform policies. This can …

Data Services Platform Users

Google Photos Gets New Map View That Shows Where You Took Your Photos

4 years, 3 months ago

Google Photos Gets New Map View That Shows Where You Took Your Photos

Google Maps comes with a timeline that shows users every place they have ever been to. This comes after Google recently announced that it will soon bring a new cinema …

News 18

Google Feature Google Photos Your Photos

How to enable and disable location on Twitter

4 years, 5 months ago

How to enable and disable location on Twitter

Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service which allows users to share their ideas and thoughts by a means of 280 words. How to enable and disable location …

Location App Twitter Tap

The Android 11 Privacy and Security Features You Should Know

4 years, 6 months ago

The Android 11 Privacy and Security Features You Should Know

If you're lucky enough to be in the first batch of recipients, you might already have Android 11 up and running on your phone; if not, it'll be rolling out …

Wired

Access Location Android Apps

Guess Who Is Also Confused By The Google Privacy Settings You And I Have To Deal With?

4 years, 7 months ago

Guess Who Is Also Confused By The Google Privacy Settings You And I Have To Deal With?

Have you ever trudged around the complexity that is the Google Settings menu on your Android phone or while managing your Google account online, and wondering why is it so …

News 18

Privacy Google Location Data Privacy Controls

Google will now delete user data on the web and it appears like a relief

4 years, 9 months ago

Google will now delete user data on the web and it appears like a relief

We all know Google collects our data to make the user experience better. To make things more secure and better, Google has now decided to change the way it collects …

Data Youtube User Option

Google Will Delete Your Data by Default—in 18 Months

55 years, 3 months ago

Google Will Delete Your Data by Default—in 18 Months

At its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple introduced a litany of new security and privacy features that fit into what the company calls its four privacy principles. A year …

Wired

Privacy Google Youtube Users

Apple and Google ban use of location tracking in contact tracing apps

4 years, 11 months ago

Apple and Google ban use of location tracking in contact tracing apps

Apple and Google said they will not allow the use of GPS data along with the contact tracing systems. Apple and Google have said that they would ban the use …

Data Google Apple Contact