Ryan Nakashima* says Google Maps may help us get to where we want to go — but it’s a two-way street.
Google wants to know where you go so badly that it records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to.
An Associated Press (AP) investigation found that many Google services on Android devices and iPhones store your location data even if you’ve used a privacy setting.
Computer-science researchers at Princeton University confirmed these findings at the AP’s request.
For the most part, Google is upfront about asking permission to use your location information.
An app like Google Maps will remind you to allow access to location if you use it for navigating.
If you agree to let it record your location over time, Google Maps will display that history for you.
Storing your minute-by-minute travels carries privacy risks and has been used by police to determine the location of suspects.
Google says: “You can turn off Location History at any time. With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored.”
That isn’t true. Even with Location History paused, some Google apps automatically store time-stamped location data without asking.
For example, Google stores a snapshot of where you are when you merely open its Maps app.
Automatic daily weather updates on Android phones pinpoints roughly where you are.
Some searches that have nothing to do with location, like “chocolate chip cookies,” or “kids’ science kits,” pinpoint your precise latitude and longitude.
The privacy issue affects some two billion users of devices that run Google’s Android operating software and hundreds of millions of worldwide iPhone users who rely on Google for maps or search.
Computer scientist, Jonathan Maye said storing location data in violation of a user’s preferences was wrong.
A researcher from Mr Mayer’s lab confirmed the AP’s findings on multiple Android devices.
“If you’re going to allow users to turn off something called Location History, then all the places where you maintain location history should be turned off,” Mr Mayer said.
Google says it is being perfectly clear.
“There are a number of different ways that Google may use location to improve people’s experience,” a Google spokesperson said.
“We provide clear descriptions of these tools, and robust controls so people can turn them on or off, and delete their histories at any time.”
* Ryan Nakashima is an AP technology writer. He tweets at @rnakashi
A full version of this article appeared at apnews.com
