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> controls that I trust. I think this trust might be misplaced. > Example: Location history. It is turned off by default. Displaying your location history to

> controls that I trust. I think this trust might be misplaced. > Example: Location history. It is turned off by default. Displaying your location history to you is turned off by default. Google's own recording of your location, for their purposes, cannot be turned off.

crankylinuxuser 9y ago
> Example: Location history. It is turned off by default. Do you want to turn Location History on? Are you suuuuure you don't want to turn location history on? To use maps effectively you need location history on. Turn on? Location history may affect ____ you wanna turn it on? How about now, location history is a great thing to turn on.... EDIT: for those of you who downmodded this, the point was that if you have location history off, Google spams you constantly with requests to turn it on. You'll get this request for opening up maps, using Google Now, or a dozen other things generated from many apps. There is also no option to temporarily turn on for app. Not so nice uses of LocHis: https://www.androidauthority.com/google-android-location-history-tracking-832849/ https://www.androidauthority.com/google-android-location-his... Explains how LocHis tendrils are everywhere: https://qz.com/1183559/if-youre-using-an-android-phone-google-may-be-tracking-every-move-you-make/ https://qz.com/1183559/if-youre-using-an-android-phone-googl...
- majormajor 9y ago
  I couldn't set a fucking timer with the Assistant on my Pixel without being told I need location history. Seemed like a low enough bar.
- abawany 9y ago
  This. The repeated prompts almost seem intent on ensuring that one will click yes inadvertently at some point.
lern_too_spel 9y ago
> Google's own recording of your location, for their purposes, cannot be turned off. Citation needed. Android even lets you turn off AGPS, which collects anonymous location data to update itself. As far as I know, this is not even possible on iOS.
- lmkg 9y ago
  I assume OP is talking about geo information inferred from IP Address.
  - Infernal 9y ago
    Or cell tower... or WiFi SSIDs... or NFC payments...
- Froyoh 9y ago
  They do track it and will prevent logins from unusual locations. Happened to me when using a VPN.
  - pgeorgi 9y ago
    Yes, but not through GPS, or the location information compiled about my logins would be way more accurate than it is (often off by 100-200 km in any direction). Probably IP based geo location (that would naturally trigger with VPNs that give you an IP in $whereever). That has nothing to do with the GPS setting of your phone.
    - lucideer 9y ago
      I don't think anyone mentioned anything about GPS until now. We're talking about Google recording your location, which can be inferred from a number of sources, including GPS, WiPS/WFPS, IP, and others. WiPS/WFPS is the most commonly used by Google.
      - pgeorgi 9y ago
        The great-grand-poster: "Android even lets you turn off AGPS, which collects anonymous location data to update itself. As far as I know, this is not even possible on iOS." AGPS is GPS, assisted but still GPS.
        lucideer 9y ago
mda 9y ago
This is not true.
- lucideer 9y ago
  It is true. Firstly, I was pointing out one small example of Google's privacy settings being non-obvious, which the GP mentioned in their post. There are many, many others one could go into, but we'll stick with just user location privacy for now. Also, minor disclaimer: What Google does or doesn't collect varies over time (as their policies and regulation changes, and in response to various court-cases). What they might have done according to one source a certain number of weeks/months ago they might have since stopped doing. But my point is that they cannot be trusted to follow the implied behaviour of high-level settings. However, since you've refuted my statement, some examples: 1. Google's own terms at [0] > some information (such as the association of your Google Account to your Google Wifi network) is stored by Google even if all privacy controls are turned off. This is bundled with Google's tracking of the geographic location of each Wifi network to feed their WiPS/WFPS services. 2. As @lern_to_spell has alluded to, "Location Reporting" and "Location History" are separate settings; the former does allow you to turn off some (though not quite all) location recording for your Android device at least, but the latter setting is still very misleading, and the former setting comes with a sacrifice (some apps become unusable). See [1] 3. Even with all of the above granular settings and admissions in terms, Google still have demonstrated in the past that they cannot be trusted to follow even their own loose promises w.r.t. respecting user privacy. e.g. [2] [3] [4] - note these articles are spread over 3 years, and are about events from 6 years previous; not exactly a promising sign of Google's policies being corrected by the court actions. - [0] https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/6246642?hl=en https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/6246642?hl=en - [1] https://www.howtogeek.com/195647/googles-location-history-is-still-recording-your-every-move/ https://www.howtogeek.com/195647/googles-location-history-is... - [2] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/may/15/google-admits-storing-private-data https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/may/15/google-ad... - [3] https://www.wired.com/2012/05/google-wifi-fcc-investigation/ https://www.wired.com/2012/05/google-wifi-fcc-investigation/ - [4] http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-24047235 http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-24047235
  - 9y ago

crankylinuxuser 9y ago

> Example: Location history. It is turned off by default. Do you want to turn Location History on? Are you suuuuure you don't want to turn location history on? To use maps effectively you need location history on. Turn on? Location history may affect ____ you wanna turn it on? How about now, location history is a great thing to turn on.... EDIT: for those of you who downmodded this, the point was that if you have location history off, Google spams you constantly with requests to turn it on. You'll get this request for opening up maps, using Google Now, or a dozen other things generated from many apps. There is also no option to temporarily turn on for app. Not so nice uses of LocHis: https://www.androidauthority.com/google-android-location-history-tracking-832849/ https://www.androidauthority.com/google-android-location-his... Explains how LocHis tendrils are everywhere: https://qz.com/1183559/if-youre-using-an-android-phone-google-may-be-tracking-every-move-you-make/ https://qz.com/1183559/if-youre-using-an-android-phone-googl...

majormajor 9y ago
I couldn't set a fucking timer with the Assistant on my Pixel without being told I need location history. Seemed like a low enough bar.
abawany 9y ago
This. The repeated prompts almost seem intent on ensuring that one will click yes inadvertently at some point.

lern_too_spel 9y ago

> Google's own recording of your location, for their purposes, cannot be turned off. Citation needed. Android even lets you turn off AGPS, which collects anonymous location data to update itself. As far as I know, this is not even possible on iOS.

lmkg 9y ago
I assume OP is talking about geo information inferred from IP Address.
- Infernal 9y ago
  Or cell tower... or WiFi SSIDs... or NFC payments...
Froyoh 9y ago
They do track it and will prevent logins from unusual locations. Happened to me when using a VPN.
- pgeorgi 9y ago
  Yes, but not through GPS, or the location information compiled about my logins would be way more accurate than it is (often off by 100-200 km in any direction). Probably IP based geo location (that would naturally trigger with VPNs that give you an IP in $whereever). That has nothing to do with the GPS setting of your phone.
  - lucideer 9y ago
    I don't think anyone mentioned anything about GPS until now. We're talking about Google recording your location, which can be inferred from a number of sources, including GPS, WiPS/WFPS, IP, and others. WiPS/WFPS is the most commonly used by Google.
    - pgeorgi 9y ago
      The great-grand-poster: "Android even lets you turn off AGPS, which collects anonymous location data to update itself. As far as I know, this is not even possible on iOS." AGPS is GPS, assisted but still GPS.
      - lucideer 9y ago

mda 9y ago

This is not true.

lucideer 9y ago
It is true. Firstly, I was pointing out one small example of Google's privacy settings being non-obvious, which the GP mentioned in their post. There are many, many others one could go into, but we'll stick with just user location privacy for now. Also, minor disclaimer: What Google does or doesn't collect varies over time (as their policies and regulation changes, and in response to various court-cases). What they might have done according to one source a certain number of weeks/months ago they might have since stopped doing. But my point is that they cannot be trusted to follow the implied behaviour of high-level settings. However, since you've refuted my statement, some examples: 1. Google's own terms at [0] > some information (such as the association of your Google Account to your Google Wifi network) is stored by Google even if all privacy controls are turned off. This is bundled with Google's tracking of the geographic location of each Wifi network to feed their WiPS/WFPS services. 2. As @lern_to_spell has alluded to, "Location Reporting" and "Location History" are separate settings; the former does allow you to turn off some (though not quite all) location recording for your Android device at least, but the latter setting is still very misleading, and the former setting comes with a sacrifice (some apps become unusable). See [1] 3. Even with all of the above granular settings and admissions in terms, Google still have demonstrated in the past that they cannot be trusted to follow even their own loose promises w.r.t. respecting user privacy. e.g. [2] [3] [4] - note these articles are spread over 3 years, and are about events from 6 years previous; not exactly a promising sign of Google's policies being corrected by the court actions. - [0] https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/6246642?hl=en https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/6246642?hl=en - [1] https://www.howtogeek.com/195647/googles-location-history-is-still-recording-your-every-move/ https://www.howtogeek.com/195647/googles-location-history-is... - [2] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/may/15/google-admits-storing-private-data https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/may/15/google-ad... - [3] https://www.wired.com/2012/05/google-wifi-fcc-investigation/ https://www.wired.com/2012/05/google-wifi-fcc-investigation/ - [4] http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-24047235 http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-24047235
- 9y ago