One of the biggest fears we have had since phones became smart is to know if smartphones know where we are at all times. Since then, there are many who say that Google and Apple know what our movement is, while others say that by deactivating the location of Android or iOS, we are “safe.” Who has the reason?
The answer to this question is simple: the first. And is, Google has just admitted that phones that work with their operating system for mobile phones are collecting information on the location of users even when Android localization services are disabled. The company had to admit it after a Quartz investigation came to light.
How does Google get to know where we are?
According to the research, Android mobiles have been sending all kinds of data about the location of users for almost a year, specifically since the beginning of 2017. For this purpose, it has used telephony antennas and the triangulation of the signal from our smartphones. So, disabling the GPS of the mobile or canceling the location services on Android does not help.
In fact, although the location services are disabled and the phone has been restored from the factory, Google can continue to know where you are at all times, which is a huge danger. This is an intrusion on the privacy of the users. Today we are a little closer to becoming a reality.
The device needs a mobile data connection or Wi-Fi to send the location to Google. Every time the user connects to a new tower, Google can still access their location and movements without their knowledge. The company can collect this data even if the SIM card is not installed on the phone so there is no way to avoid this “espionage” by Google.
Of course, the brand has revealed that it does not store the location but uses the data obtained from these towers to improve notification systems. It also improves the user experience of using Android phones.
Google has ensured that it will end this practice from this month, but the damage may already be done, and many users have begun to distrust the “stratagems” of Android and, therefore, the Internet giant.
