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Google – My Location History

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Re: Google – My Location History

#21

Post by solotronics »

m0dest wrote: post #19

I used to willingly enable this and enjoyed this page. But it was recently revealed that Google shares bulk location data with law enforcement, offering the list of all devices that were in a certain area. That was the line for me. Disabled. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/13/us/google-loc... > The new orders, sometimes called “geofence” warrants, specify an area and a time period, and Google gathers info…

Do you think if you disable this they will not share with law enforcement? I wonder if it makes a difference.

Re: Google – My Location History

#22

Post by anoonmoose »

danielecook wrote: post #4
KukicAdnan wrote: post #3

Honestly, I find this really useful and love being able to see where I've been, especially since I travel on almost a weekly basis. It's an invaluable tool for me and I trust Google to safeguard the information. They haven't failed me yet, and if they ever do, it should be easy enough to delete the info.

I like it as well - but google is almost certainly using this data to target you. I also wish I more control. Is there a way to export to GPX? It would be fun to create a heat map of your daily locations over the course of years.

By "target", do you mean that they're using the information I voluntarily give them to provide me with more accurate and useful ads? Because, I mean, that's not a terrible trade-off.

Re: Google – My Location History

#23

Post by gregschlom »

solotronics wrote: post #21
m0dest wrote: post #19

I used to willingly enable this and enjoyed this page. But it was recently revealed that Google shares bulk location data with law enforcement, offering the list of all devices that were in a certain area. That was the line for me. Disabled. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/13/us/google-loc... > The new orders, sometimes called “geofence” warrants, specify an area and a time period, and Google gathers info…

Do you think if you disable this they will not share with law enforcement? I wonder if it makes a difference.

It does make a difference. If you disable it, the data doesn't get stored in the first place, so there's nothing to share.

Re: Google – My Location History

#24

Post by frereubu »

Just a quick note - if like me you deleted your location history then disabled it, all you'll see is a prompt to delete your (non-existent) location history, which confused me for a bit.

After disabling all Google history - location, web, search etc - I don't notice much of a difference in the usefulness of Google services, but the one thing that still hangs around is purchase and booking history because my company uses GSuite. When I want to delete that history it tells me to delete that email - I think I should be able to turn that off somehow, but don't know how.

Edit: To do justice to Google, they do seem to be respecting my wishes not to store any of that history, at least in any explicit form.

Re: Google – My Location History

#25

Post by frereubu »

KukicAdnan wrote: post #3

Honestly, I find this really useful and love being able to see where I've been, especially since I travel on almost a weekly basis. It's an invaluable tool for me and I trust Google to safeguard the information. They haven't failed me yet, and if they ever do, it should be easy enough to delete the info.

Not wishing to be sarky, but surely "if they ever do" fail you it's too late.

Re: Google – My Location History

#26

Post by woodrowbarlow »

gregschlom wrote: post #23
solotronics wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think if you disable this they will not share with law enforcement? I wonder if it makes a difference.

It does make a difference. If you disable it, the data doesn't get stored in the first place, so there's nothing to share.

is this verifiable?

Re: Google – My Location History

#27

Post by periferral »

Like many other comments, I like this and find it useful. Recently I took a Lyft ride late from SFO to home and it was late and I was tired and I didnt concentrate on the route taken by the driver but I was certain we took the 101. Later when I saw the charge, I was surprised to see the ride map showing me taking a roundabout way, heading on 280 and essentially doing a 70mile ride. I complained to Lyft and they refunded the money but I still wanted to know how I got home. Checked back on this and found that it was in fact a regular 101 ride home and I had proof just in case Lyft wanted it.

As others have mentioned, it is nice to look back at the trips I took and also share with others who might be visiting places where I have been in the past.

Re: Google – My Location History

#28

Post by derivagral »

frereubu wrote: post #24

Just a quick note - if like me you deleted your location history then disabled it, all you'll see is a prompt to delete your (non-existent) location history, which confused me for a bit. After disabling all Google history - location, web, search etc - I don't notice much of a difference in the usefulness of Google services, but the one thing that still hangs around is purchase and booking history because my company u…

From other comments, it seems like that history is sourced directly from your emails; you'd need to delete the (archived?) emails to remove it from the list.

Re: Google – My Location History

#30

Post by frereubu »

derivagral wrote: post #28
frereubu wrote: post #24

Just a quick note - if like me you deleted your location history then disabled it, all you'll see is a prompt to delete your (non-existent) location history, which confused me for a bit. After disabling all Google history - location, web, search etc - I don't notice much of a difference in the usefulness of Google services, but the one thing that still hangs around is purchase and booking history because my company u…

From other comments, it seems like that history is sourced directly from your emails; you'd need to delete the (archived?) emails to remove it from the list.

Yes, perhaps I wasn't clear - I did say it tells me to delete the emails, but given that it's a paid service I think there should be a separate setting where I can tell GSuite not to scan my emails.
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