Google Tracks Location Data Even When Users Turn Service Off, AP Report Finds
- Location History stores time-stamped data without asking
- Company’s ad revenue boosted by metrics on foot traffic
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Google’s smartphone services store users’ locations even when privacy settings are adjusted to shut these features off, according to a report by the Associated Press.
While the company asks permission for users to share location information on its applications, it doesn’t halt tracking services when users pause Location History, according to the AP. Google Maps, for instance, grabs information when a user so much as opens the app, and automatic daily weather updates on Android phones give an approximation of user location. Computer-science researchers at Princeton University confirmed the Associated Press’s findings.