Google Maps, who’re you? I’m extremely stunned to see Google provide you with privateness options I’d anticipate from a aggressive navigation app. Not the search large that makes billions of {dollars} every quarter from highly-tailored adverts primarily based on a treasure trove of person knowledge. Google doesn’t solely observe what we browse on-line, but additionally our location, which is an extremely essential element when creating these person profiles.
Waze and Google Maps are two Google apps that want entry to location info for them to work. Ever since Google made it doable to auto-delete location historical past and switch it off utterly, I’ve performed so. It’s a handy characteristic to have, certain. However I additionally don’t need Google to gather extra knowledge factors about me.
Going ahead, I would reenable it, contemplating that Google is making a giant change to how location historical past knowledge works. Slightly than Google Maps sending that info to Google’s servers, it’ll save the information regionally on the Android gadget or iPhone you utilize for navigation. That’s simply one of many shocking privateness options coming quickly to Google Maps.
Location Historical past shall be saved in your gadget
Google says Location Historical past is off in Maps, appropriately. However if you wish to use the Timeline characteristic of the app that remembers each place you’ve been to with Google Maps, you’ll want to allow it. Within the close to future, Timeline places shall be saved in your gadget. Meaning Location Historical past shall be held in your gadget moderately than Google’s servers.
You’ll be capable to again up that info to the cloud if you wish to save your Timeline and transfer it to a distinct telephone. And if you happen to do, Google will encrypt the backup so no one has entry to it. Once more, I’m stunned Google goes this far with Maps privateness.
Lastly, Location Historical past will set the auto-delete management to a few months of information if you first allow it. Beforehand, it was set to 18 months. If you’d like Timeline to incorporate an extended interval, you may change it.
The brand new Location Historical past options is not going to be obtainable instantly. Google says it’ll roll them out to Android on iPhone over the subsequent 12 months. You’ll obtain a notification when the characteristic is accessible. So that you may wish to wait earlier than you allow Location Historical past.
Delete sure locations for Maps
Say you want to have Timeline options enabled on Google Maps. Google is rolling out one other characteristic that may make it simpler to take away gadgets from the historical past with out deleting every thing. Google gives the next instance of eradicating all exercise associated to visiting a bakery:
Say you’re planning a shock celebration, and also you get instructions to a close-by bakery to select up the cake. Quickly, you’ll be capable to see all of your current exercise on Maps associated to the bakery in a single central place, and simply delete your searches, instructions, visits, and shares with only a few faucets.
The identical applies to every other location. The characteristic shall be obtainable within the coming weeks on Android and iPhone.
The choice is utilizing Google Maps in incognito mode, or whereas signed out of your account.
Bear in mind to faucet the blue dot
Google can also be including privateness protections to the blue dot in Google Maps, which symbolizes you, the person. You possibly can faucet it to manage numerous facets associated to location knowledge. You’ll see whether or not your Location Historical past or Timeline settings are turned on and if Maps has entry to your location. You’ll additionally be capable to share your location from that menu.
These shortcuts shall be rolling out to Google Maps for Android and iPhone within the coming weeks.
Will Google cease monetizing location knowledge?
On the very finish of the blog post, Google reminds customers of one thing it’s all the time saying in the case of Google Maps knowledge: “Bear in mind: Google Maps by no means sells your knowledge to anybody, together with advertisers.” And that’s true; Google is not going to share any private details about you with third events.
Nevertheless, Google will goal you with adverts primarily based on the info it collects with out sharing stated knowledge with advertisers. Given these enhanced location-specific privateness controls for Google Maps, it’s unclear whether or not Google will use location info to construct up profiles for adverts. Or if it’ll do it.
Nonetheless, as somebody who has been important of how Google grabs person knowledge, together with location data from Google Maps, I applaud these new options.
