Beware! Google collects your location data even when you turn off tracking

Google might be gathering location data from your Android-based devices even when you turn off the location services or remove SIM from your phone, suggests a news report in the Quartz.

According to the report, Google has been collecting location data using cellular towers near its Android devices – even when location is disabled in phones – since the beginning of 2017. The data provide Google access to individuals’ location and their movements which could be considered as breach of user privacy.

The section of Google’s privacy policy that covers location sharing states, "When you use Google services, we may collect and process information about your actual location. We use various technologies to determine location, including IP address, GPS, and other sensors that may, for example, provide Google with information on nearby devices, Wi-Fi access points and cell towers."

The privacy policy mentions that the company will collect location information from devices, but does not clearly mention if the location data shall be collected from Android devices even when location services are disabled.

Google confirmed the practice to Quartz, says the report, additing that the information collected was neither used nor stored but only utilised for managing push notifications and messages sent to Android consumers. The company also reportedly confirmed it was planning to end the practice by the end of November.

According to the report, the data sent to Google by Android devices were encrypted but they could be accessed by a third party if the phone security was with spyware or other methods of hacking.

Google in August announced Android 8.0 Oreo and released a list of smartphone manufacturers that will be updating their devices soon. The Pixel and Nexus devices will be the first among the first smartphones to receive the update and Google has already confirmed that the carrier testing is underway and the devices will receive it soon.

The rather small list does not feature any phone from Moto C-series and Moto E-series, which are budget-series smartphone and have been of great demand in price conscious Indian market. While the list is mandated for the US, it is still to be seen if Motorola releases another list for India and include C-series and E-series in it.

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