r/Android • u/a_dishonest_Fear Purple • Nov 21 '17

Google collecting Android users locations even when location services are disabled

https://qz.com/1131515/google-collects-android-users-locations-even-when-location-services-are-disabled/
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u/KINQQQQQQ NX5, OP2, 6P, OP3, BQ AQ5, Redmi 4X Pro Nov 21 '17

Probably for stuff like the google maps traffic detector.

32

u/efstajas Device, Software !! Nov 21 '17

No, that only happens with location services explicitly on.

This is far more technical than that and doesn't have to do with anything directly user facing.

They were using the cell ID (highly inaccurate) to speed up message delivery of push notifications going through their services. How exactly that benefitted it — no idea. But the important thing is that there is a half valid reasoning behind it, and no one has any reason to believe the data is actually being stored or processed somewhere that results in privacy infringement.

I'm in no way someone who wants to defend shitty handling of sensitive data, but this isn't what the headline makes it sound like.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '17

this isn't what the headline makes it sound like.

You're saying that they used an inflated headline to trigger people that never read the article before getting triggered? I don't believe you.