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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

#31

Post by vesinisa »

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…

This is a regrettable, yet a sadly common view. "If you use products by Company X, you must understand they gather an immerse personal profile on you - like it or not. That's just how Company X works! If you don't like that, use a competing product."

Companies are not above law, and the gathering and use of personally identifiable information is regulated for a very good reason in our society (I don't think many Americans were thrilled when their info was leaked in the Equifax breach.) Ultimately, consumers should be able to choose products they use freely without worrying about their privacy being automatically violated. It might not be the case today, as this article shows, but so was establishing a cartel to charge consumers exorbitant prices and bully competition out of business also an acceptable business tactic for most of the 19th century, before anti-trust legislation was enacted.

So I think it's good that reporters an are taking issue when companies engage in questionable practices when applying their users' privacy preferences. Like Google here not stopping collecting a profile of your past locations, even if you turn off a privacy setting titled "Location History".

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#32

Post by _lqaf »

l9k wrote: post #25
pacala wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

“Yes,” said Arthur, “yes I did. The setting was at the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.”

This is example #687 of why not to trust Google or any other surveillance capitalist.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#33

Post by russellbeattie »

"Turning off" location history == Don't show me my location history. It's not like Google (or Apple) is going to actually stop tracking you.

I love showing iPhone users the section in Settings where all their location history is. Most have no idea it's there.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#34

Post by dnomad »

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…

This is just dumb. Location History has nothing to do with other apps that can track your location. All of this is made clear in the UI which makes it abundantly clear what is happening. Google makes no attempt to hide what is happening and if you enable Location History Google will actually spam you with email warnings that you have Location History turned on.

So it's yet another anti-tech non-story clickbait. But the demand for this is so high we actually get to see it twice.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#35

Post by dnomad »

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

Yeah, duh. None of that happens if you turn off Location on your phone. This is all made abundantly clear in the UI and explained with dialogs and warnings.

At what point does this sort of clickbait get dismissed? What's the next headline? GOOGLE STORES YOUR ENTIRE ADDRESS BOOK ?

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#36

Post by massel »

russellbeattie wrote: post #33

"Turning off" location history == Don't show me my location history. It's not like Google (or Apple) is going to actually stop tracking you. I love showing iPhone users the section in Settings where all their location history is. Most have no idea it's there.

Do you also show them the part where it says "Significant Locations are encrypted and cannot be read by Apple"? They're local to the device, not sent back to them.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#37

Post by mistermann »

dnomad wrote: post #34
pacala wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

This is just dumb. Location History has nothing to do with other apps that can track your location. All of this is made clear in the UI which makes it abundantly clear what is happening. Google makes no attempt to hide what is happening and if you enable Location History Google will actually spam you with email warnings that you have Location History turned on. So it's yet another anti-tech non-story clickbait. But t…

What is clear to you may not be clear to everyone. It wasn't clear to me, for example, and I understand this stuff much better than the average person.

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#38

Post by Bartweiss »

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.

The second feature you have to disable to limit this tracking is Web And App Activity. This is a bundled feature which means you can't choose the utterly reasonable status "improve my search suggestions but don't use my location". More importantly, the Google Privacy Checkup where you find this setting offers no hint that it involves location monitoring. Here's the text:

"Google is saving your searches and other Google activity. Google is also saving activity such as which apps you use, your Chrome history, and which sites you visit on the web."

I don't see why a reasonable reader would interpret that as building extensive location history. (Well, excluding "because they don't trust Google", which is kind of the point.)

Re: Google tracks users who turn off location history

#40

Post by 323454 »

To add one datum, I turned off location history thinking that meant that Google would use my _current_ location for Maps, Search etc while not storing my _past_ locations. Their interface and messaging did not succeed in dissuading me from this belief, despite the fact that I was explicitly looking for messaging and settings related to protecting my privacy.

Was I naive to believe this was even possible in the first place? Probably. I used to think Google were basically good guys, so I thought that when they said something they actually meant it, and I was willing to forgive them for minor mistakes and bad press. This is the first time I actually feel like they've lied to me.

I'll be migrating my personal Google accounts elsewhere. Suggestions are welcome for good alternatives, free/non-free/whatever, that offer effective privacy controls.

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