Location history data in Google Maps will soon be stored on user devices
Google will no longer hold onto people's location data in Google Maps — meaning it can't turn that info over to the police
There is a discussion on Hacker News, but feel free to comment here as well.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Google has come under increasing pressure to stop collecting user location data, especially since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
42 Democrats from the US House and Senate signed a letter last May addressed to Google CEO Sundar Pichai urging the company to stop collecting and retaining user location information.
"Google's current practice of collecting and retaining extensive records of cell phone location data will allow it to become a tool for far-right extremists looking to crack down on people seeking reproductive health care," the letter read.
Last July, Google announced it would delete the location history data of users who visited abortion clinics, drug treatment centers, domestic violence shelters, weight loss clinics, and other sensitive health-related locations.
Google told Business Insider that the update is part of a larger effort by the company to increase user privacy and give individuals more control over their data, pointing to other tools like auto-delete and Incognito Mode.
The Location History setting is turned off by default in Google Maps, but here's how to find it in the app, toggle it on or off, and delete specific entry:
The original article contains 450 words, the summary contains 184 words. Saved 59%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
