You think that by turning off your cellphone your presence will be difficult to trace.
But the reality is unexpected. If you want to eliminate traces of travel, it is not enough just to turn off the cellphone.
But there is an application in Android that needs to be disabled.
Based on research conducted by the Associated Press (AP) news agency, Google still can track the whereabouts of its users even though they have deactivated the location on the cellphone.
This problem can affect up to two billion Android and Apple devices that use Google for maps or search.
The study, verified by researchers at Princeton University, angered lawmakers in the US.
Responding to that, Google said they wanted to give a clear picture of the device and how to turn it off.
In the study it was stated that, the existence of users would still be tracked even though they did not activate the location.
'A little cunning'
To illustrate the effect of this location marker, the AP made a visual map showing the movement of a Princeton researcher, Gunes Acar, who turned off location features on his Android phone.
In the map, Pick was detected traveling by fast train around New York, visiting the High Line park, Chelsea Market, Hell's Kitchen, Central Park and Harlem.
Not only travel, the map also revealed Acar's home address.
In order for Google to stop storing all of these location markers, users must turn off other settings called Web and App Activity, which are active by default and do not mention location data.
This deactivation will prevent Google from storing information generated by searches and other activities that can limit the effectiveness of digital assistance.
"You think that telling Google that you don't want your location tracked by disabling the" Location History "option will stop the internet giant from storing data about your location," security researcher Graham Cluley wrote on his blog.
"For me Google is a bit sneaky because it keeps storing location data, unless you disable" Location history "and" Web & App Activity. "
You think that by turning off your cellphone your presence will be difficult to trace. But the reality is unexpected. - GOOGLE MAP
In response to this, Google told AP news agency: "There are a number of different ways for Google to use location features to improve people's experience, including: Location History, Web and AppActivity, and Location Services.
"We provide an explanation of this device, and strong controls so people can activate or deactivate it, and delete their location traces at any time."
After doing research, AP created a guide to show users how to delete location data.
When the AP presented the results of the study, Democratic senator Mark Warner accused the technology company of running "company practices that differed greatly from the expectations of their truly reasonable users".
Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone called for "comprehensive consumer data security and privacy laws".
In the UK, a spokesman for the Information Commission Office told the BBC: "Under the GDPR and 2018 Data Protection Act, various organizations have a legal obligation to be open, transparent and fair with the public about how their personal data is used.
"Anyone who has concerns about how an organization handles their personal information can contact the ICO."
Previously, a number of technology companies were attacked because it was not straightforward to explain privacy settings and how to use them.
In June, a report from the Norwegian Consumer Council found evidence that various privacy options were hidden or obscured.
Location-based advertising offers great opportunities for market participants.
According to the research institute BIA / Kelsey, various US brand holders are ready to spend up to US $ 20.6 billion (or Rp. 371 trillion) on cellular advertisements targeted in 2018.
Since 2014, Google has allowed advertisers to track the effectiveness of online advertising with features based on data footfall, which depend on location history.
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