Tech Brief: Google Tracks Users' Locations With 'Location History' Turned Off

In a piece of news that should probably surprise no one, Associated Press revealed today that Google applications can collect location data from its users even when "Location History" setting has been turned off. The report follows a similar story by Quartz late last year, which found Google to be relying on the method of cell-tower triangulation to locate its users. This one though is more specific to Google in that it is tied to users' "Web and App Activity" setting that can be accessed under Activity Controls, which Google explains as follows: "Saves your activity on Google sites and apps to give you faster searches, better recommendations, and more personalized experiences in Maps, Search, and other Google services."

So if (and that's a big if) getting accurate commute time estimates and other personalised alerts from Google Assistant is not your thing, you can turn the setting off. But the unfortunate truth is that privacy is ultimately a trade-off between choosing to keep things to yourself and convenience, varying from one person to the next depending on his (or her) threat model. It also means that what one considers private may not be necessarily applicable to another, with some going insofar as to give it up for something as paltry as free pizza. Such is the power of privacy paradox!

Update on Aug. 17: Following concerns over location tracking, Google has quietly updated its help page for Location History to include the line: "This setting does not affect other location services on your device, like Google Location Services and Find My Device. Some location data may be saved as part of your activity on other services, like Search and Maps."

Update on Aug. 20: Google is facing additional scrutiny following revelations that it tracks users' location even when "Location History" setting is turned off. A man named Napoleon Patacsil is suing the search giant for violating the California Invasion of Privacy Act and the state's constitutional right to privacy, where as policy makers are urging Federal Trade Commission to examine whether it is in breach of its 2011 consent decree with he consumer protection agency.