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Google tracks users who turn off location history

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#21

Post by l9k »

m-p-3 wrote: post #17
l9k wrote: post #12

Still don't understand why this story blowing out all of a sudden. It's common knowledge that the biggest internet ad company likes your data and wants it for its recommendation systems. If you want to turn off Location History, which is a feature, a product in itself, you can. If you don't want your searches to be tracked, use another engine like DuckDuckGo or Qwant. If you still want Google, you can disable the loc…

If you want to turn off Location History, which is a feature, a product in itself, you can. The point is that despite turning off location history, this doesn't stop Google from tracking you and doesn't respect their users privacy when they ask for it.

Yes they do. Location History is a feature you can disable, pretty easily.

They never claimed "Turn this off if you don't want to share your location in any of the Google services you use. There actually is a control panel for your global settings.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#22

Post by pacala »

l9k wrote: post #19
some_account wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Read the article.

Exactly. What's your point? I read the ones from yesterday, including the AP that started the "scandal". The problem is that since Cambridge Analytica, any piece of privacy issue gets a clickbaity headline for little reason just to get viral, play with fear and emotions, and drive traffic. All of that for ads money from Google. Full circle. On this story: Headline is "Google tracks users who turn off location history…

Read the article. What are the "clear descriptions and robust controls" to turn off the following Google location tracking behaviors:

> Google stores a snapshot of where you are when you open the Maps app

> Automatic weather updates on Android phones pinpoint roughly where a user is

> Searches that have nothing to do with location pinpoint precise longitude and latitude of users

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#23

Post by ddtaylor »

abababba wrote: post #20
sgt101 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Didn't appear as an item for me yesterday at all - something's not right about that!

https://news.ycombinator.com/front?day=2018-08-13&p=2 55th position

Wow! I didn't know you could look at the homepage based on day. That's awesome, thanks!!

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#24

Post by macintux »

brookhaven_dude wrote: post #15

What if I shut down the google maps app after every use (iphone)? Surely they can't track after that.

There are multiple layers here.

The current controversy is whether Google keeps a history of your location data tied to your Google account when you ask them not to. It turns out there are two different places they record it, so you have to disable both.

Separately there is the question of whether Google can get your location data from your phone at all. On your iPhone, you can specify "Never", "While using", or "Always" for Google Maps' access to your location.

If you specify "While using" and force quit the app, no, they can no longer access your location.

I do not know for certain, but suspect, that if you use the home button or multitouch gesture to leave Google Maps, it's still effectively being "used" and thus can still access your location.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#25

Post by l9k »

pacala wrote: post #18
l9k wrote: post #12

Still don't understand why this story blowing out all of a sudden. It's common knowledge that the biggest internet ad company likes your data and wants it for its recommendation systems. If you want to turn off Location History, which is a feature, a product in itself, you can. If you don't want your searches to be tracked, use another engine like DuckDuckGo or Qwant. If you still want Google, you can disable the loc…

The _title_ of the article says "Google tracks users who turn off location history", and the article further develops the claim. Yes, Google offers the option to "turn off Location History". No, turning off Location History doesn't stop Google from tracking your location by other means. Google engages in physical world surveillance against the express instructions of its users, misleading them in the process. Not coo…

Google allows you to turn off the Location History feature AND allows you to stop giving out your location.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#26

Post by Jaruzel »

Jaruzel wrote: post #5

To be fair this should be dropped from the front page, or merged with yesterdays post.

Massively downvoted, seriously?

I didn't mean 'remove' from the front page, but merge it with the other post and leave it in position on the front page... wow, you guys.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#27

Post by Flimm »

l9k wrote: post #21
m-p-3 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want to turn off Location History, which is a feature, a product in itself, you can. The point is that despite turning off location history, this doesn't stop Google from tracking you and doesn't respect their users privacy when they ask for it.

Yes they do. Location History is a feature you can disable, pretty easily. They never claimed "Turn this off if you don't want to share your location in any of the Google services you use. There actually is a control panel for your global settings.

I think we have lowered the bar for companies like Google far too much. Honestly, it would be reasonable to expect Google not to do any location tracking across any of their services at all, without obvious and explicit approval of the users, granularly service by service, and with the ability to reverse that decision. We should be aiming for opt-in tracking, not opt-out. Fine print in large EULAs, or dark patterns in privacy controls, don't count as genuine opt-in procedures in my opinion.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#28

Post by js2 »

ddtaylor wrote: post #23
abababba wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://news.ycombinator.com/front?day=2018-08-13&p=2 55th position

Wow! I didn't know you could look at the homepage based on day. That's awesome, thanks!!

https://news.ycombinator.com/lists includes that option among other lists. The story from yesterday is currently number 11 on the best list.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#29

Post by jonknee »

pacala wrote: post #22
l9k wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. What's your point? I read the ones from yesterday, including the AP that started the "scandal". The problem is that since Cambridge Analytica, any piece of privacy issue gets a clickbaity headline for little reason just to get viral, play with fear and emotions, and drive traffic. All of that for ads money from Google. Full circle. On this story: Headline is "Google tracks users who turn off location history…

Read the article. What are the "clear descriptions and robust controls" to turn off the following Google location tracking behaviors: > Google stores a snapshot of where you are when you open the Maps app > Automatic weather updates on Android phones pinpoint roughly where a user is > Searches that have nothing to do with location pinpoint precise longitude and latitude of users

These are all features that people expect to work regardless of what they do with their settings... Why would you want a weather update for somewhere you aren't? If you search drug store should it tell you about the concept of drug stores or the actual drug stores that are down the street? There would be tons of people upset that Google is broken if it didn't take location into account for search.
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