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Thursday, November 23, 2017

Google collects Android users’ locations even when location services are disabled

Many people realize that smartphones track their locations. But what if you actively turn off location services, haven’t used any apps, and haven’t even inserted a carrier SIM card?

Even if you take all of those precautions, phones running Android software gather data about your location and send it back to Google when they’re connected to the internet, a Quartz investigation has revealed.

Since the beginning of 2017, Android phones have been collecting the addresses of nearby cellular towers—even when location services are disabled—and sending that data back to Google. The result is that Google, the unit of Alphabet behind Android, has access to data about individuals’ locations and their movements that go far beyond a reasonable consumer expectation of privacy.

Quartz observed the data collection occur and contacted Google, which confirmed the practice.

The cell tower addresses have been included in information sent to the system Google uses to manage push notifications and messages on Android phones for the past 11 months, according to a Google spokesperson.

More here

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I already figured that out. My device is on private and the ads are geographically synchronized when I travel.

Anonymous said...

All done so Law Enforcement CAN FIND YOU !!! Hint Hint

Anonymous said...

Hint Hint
You can also use that technology to your advantage too. Same with EZ pass. Have several ez pass transponders. Tape them to the roof of a tractor trailer or unsuspecting vehicle at a travel plaza on an interstate highway. You can purchase cases that block all signals from a cell phone too.