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captionThe
study found that users had to turn off another setting in order to
disable location being recorded
Google
records users' locations even when they have asked it not to, a report
from the Associated Press has suggested.
The
issue could affect up to two billion Android and Apple devices which use
Google for maps or search.
The
study, verified by researchers at Princeton University, has angered US
law-makers.
Google
said in response that it provides clear descriptions of its tools and
how to turn them off.
The
study found that users' whereabouts are recorded even when location
history has been disabled.
For
example:
Google
stores a snapshot of where you are when you open the Maps app
Automatic
weather updates on Android phones pinpoint roughly where a user is
Searches
that have nothing to do with location pinpoint precise longitude and
latitude of users
'Pretty
sneaky'
To
illustrate the effect of these location markers, AP created a visual map
showing the movements of Princeton researcher Gunes Acar who was using
an Android phone with location history turned off.
The
map showed his train commute around New York as well as visits to The
High Line park, Chelsea Market, Hell's Kitchen, Central Park and Harlem.
It also revealed his home address.
To
stop Google saving these location markers, users have to turn off
another setting called Web and App Activity, which is enabled by default
and which does not mention location data.
Disabling
this prevents Google storing information generated by searches and other
activities which can limit the effectiveness of its digital assistant.
"You
would think that telling Google that you didn't want your location to be
tracked by disabling an option called "Location History" would stop the
internet giant from storing data about your location,"writes
security researcher Graham Cluley on his blog.
"It
seems pretty sneaky to me that Google continues to store location data,
unless you both disable "Location history" and "Web & App
Activity.""
In
response, Google told AP: "There are a number of different ways that
Google may use location to improve people's experience, including:
Location History, Web and App Activity, and through device-level
Location Services.
"We
provide clear descriptions of these tools, and robust controls so people
can turn them on or off, and delete their histories at any time."
Following
its research,AP
created a guideto show users how to delete
location data.
Presented
with the evidence of the AP study, Democratic senator Mark Warner
accused technology companies of having "corporate practices that diverge
wildly from the totally reasonable expectation of their users".
Democratic
congressman Frank Pallone called for "comprehensive consumer privacy and
data security legislation".
In
the UK, a spokesman for the Information Commissioner's Office told the
BBC: "Under the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, organisations
have a legal duty to be open, transparent and fair with the public about
how their personal data is used.
"Anybody
who has concerns about how an organisation is handling their personal
information can contact the ICO."
Technology
firms are under fire for not being clear about privacy settings and how
to use them. In June, a report from the Norwegian Consumer Council found
evidence that privacy-friendly options are hidden away or obscured.
Location-based
advertising offers big opportunities to marketers. According to research
firm BIA/Kelsey, US brands are poised to spend up to $20.6bn (£16.3bn)
on targeted mobile ads in 2018.
Since
2014, Google has let advertisers track the effectiveness of online
adverts with a feature based on footfall data, which relies on location
history.