Google purposely made it harder for smartphone users to keep their location private, new documents allege
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 would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Google executive and engineers were aware that the company made it harder for smartphone users to keep location information private, according to newly released, unredacted documents. The documents reveal that Google appeared continue collecting location data even when users turned off location-sharing settings, and allegedly pressured smartphone manufacturers like LG to hide particular settings, Insider reports. Google collected location data using wi-fi and third-party apps unaffiliated with Google, the documents suggest. In 2017, it was reported that Google could track you even if you turned off location services, stopped using apps, and removed your SIM card because Android devices with a cellular or Wi-Fi connection collect the data of nearby cell towers, thereby providing the company with an estimation of the users’ location.
Vulnerabilities in GPS smartphone technology could let hackers map home interiors
Google I/O 2021: All Privacy, Security Features Coming to Android, Search and More
Google will now automatically delete your location, web history after 18 months
Privacy at high risk due to the growing practice of compiling users' mobility data
There's no escaping from Google collecting your data or tracking your location
Google clarifies how it tracks a user's location even if they turn the setting off
Discover Related
How to protect your device privacy when crossing borders
MapQuest Vows to Protect Privacy with its New Mapping App
The biggest threat to privacy is not Elon Musk
Google introduces new feature, simplifies removal of personal details from internet
One Tech Tip: How to block your phone from tracking your location
Top 4 built-in Apple security tools to protect your iPhone data- Check the list
Is your car spying on you? What it means that Tesla shared data in the Las Vegas explosion
Is it a smart home camera or a spying device? Study reveals an unsettling reality
Keeping Your Personal Data Safe in the Age of Trump
WhatsApp calls can expose your location, update privacy settings immediately
Google Maps to delete your location history soon: Know-why
Instagram releases a new WhatsApp-like live-location sharing feature
US govt calls for breakup of Google and Chrome
12 Hidden iOS settings every iPhone user should try
3 Mobile settings you should turn off IMMEDIATELY for more privacy
Many smart devices gathering ‘excessive’ amounts of personal data, says Which?
Court Rules: Spousal Privacy is a Fundamental Right, Including Mobile Phone Snooping
Google Maps Embraces AI: A New Era of Navigation and Entertainment
Looking for new activities? Google wants you to turn to its navigation app
Public urged to be vigilant online while abroad during half term
Google tools to combat mobile phone theft start rolling out to users
Find my iPhone: Why tracking your partner’s mobile is a slippery slope
Google says it will rethink its plans for a big data center in Chile over water worries
Google says it will rethink its plans for a big data center in Chile over water worries