The Glenn Beck Program

The Glenn Beck Program

Known for his quick wit, candid opinions and engaging personality, Glenn Beck has attracted millions of viewers and listeners throughout the United...Full Bio

 

Can't remember where you've been? Just ask Google.



Here's a fun trick. Do you want to see where you've been? Everywhere you've been? Ask Google. Specifically, check the myactivity.google.com grid. It'll contain everywhere you've been, not just in the real world, but online as well.

The Associated Press led an investigation which "found that many Google services on Android devices and iPhones store your location data even if you've used a privacy setting that says it will prevent Google from doing so."

RELATED: Google is literally writing the book on all of us

The AP consorted with Google, whose support page on the subject states: "You can turn off Location History at any time. With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored." AP determined this to be patently false, and that it is near impossible to delete movements that have already been traced.

Among the findings were that "Google stores a snapshot of where you are when you merely open its Maps app. Automatic daily weather updates on Android phones pinpoint roughly where you are. And some searches that have nothing to do with location, like 'chocolate chip cookies,' or 'kids science kits,' pinpoint your precise latitude and longitude — accurate to the square foot — and save it to your Google account."

The article notes that this privacy breach will affect roughly two million Android users, and "hundreds of millions" of iPhone users.

A Google spokesperson said in a statement to the AP that "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."

The AP determined this to be false, or misleading at best. It all hinges on "Location History."

The AP determined this to be false, or misleading at best. It all hinges on "Location History."

Jonathan Mayer, a Princeton computer scientist and former chief technologist for the Federal Communications Commission's enforcement bureau, said "If you're going to allow users to turn off something called 'Location History,' then all the places where you maintain location history should be turned off. That seems like a pretty straightforward position to have."

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia told the AP it is "frustratingly common" for technology companies "to have corporate practices that diverge wildly from the totally reasonable expectations of their users."

Every day, the world grows a bit more digital. We can literally say that we know how the characters in science fiction novels feel.


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