Google is making a big change to how it stores Location History data on Android and iOS. Instead of that data being stored in the cloud, Google will be locally saving Location History to your device with end-to-end encrypted cloud backups for “Your Timeline” in Maps also offered.
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Google Photos has long been able to estimate the location of pictures that don’t contain geodata. It previously did this using Google Account Location History but has since stopped and is giving users the ability to remove those estimates.
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Following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, people have raised concerns about how sensitive health and location data could be used against them. Google today announced “additional steps [it’s] taking to protect user privacy around health issues,” including auto-deleting abortion clinic visits from Location History.
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To take full advantage of Google services, Web & App Activity and Location History often have to be enabled on an account and device. At the same time, the company has been working to give end users more control over their privacy, and today is introducing an auto-delete feature.
Location data taken in aggregate can power useful features, with Google leveraging that history for traffic updates, recommendations, and ads. A new report today reveals how U.S. law enforcement is increasingly requesting that data as part of criminal investigations. While useful, privacy advocates argue that such overbroad practices risk “snaring the innocent.”