Google tracks you whether you want it to or not

GoogleGoogle.Photo: Pixabay

Google tracks your actions and saves location data even after you turn off location history on your device, according to Associated Press (AP) news agency.

 

‘’You can turn off Location History at any time. If Location History is turned off, the places you go will not be saved anymore’’.

That’s how Google’s Privacy Policy describes how to prevent information related to your location being stored.

That’s not exactly right, according to AP.

Although Google is mostly open and sincere about requesting permission to use your location, several of the Google apps automatically save location data without asking for permission, even when you’ve disabled the settings.

The privacy situation affects about two billion Android users and hundreds of millions of IPhone users around the world, all of whom use Google’s map or search features.

Improves user experience

“There are a number of ways Google can use position to improve the user experience,including location history, app and web activity, and through location services on the devices,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to the AP.

Google believes they are clear in their privacy descriptions.

“We provide clear descriptions of these tools and have robust control mechanisms so you can turn them on or off and delete the history at any time,” said the spokesperson.

Ad revenue

Critics believe the reason Google is so keen to track its users is to increase advertising revenue.

‘’They pull advertising-related information out of the data. More information about users probably means more profit for them,” said analyst Peter Lenz of the company, Dstillery,which deals with advertising technology.

However, if you want to prevent Google from knowing where you are, there is a solution.

By going to ‘My Browser Activity’, you can disable both web and app activity as well as Location History. This prevents position markers from being linked to your Google
Account.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today