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Google to start permanently deleting users’ location history (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/technology

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[–] Veddit 18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I can't find any email from Google or any info on my account settings that this will be happening? Can anyone point to official Google comms about this? As my settings say "keep everything".

[–] Spotlight7573 17 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

https://support.google.com/maps/answer/14169818

Update Google Maps to use Timeline on your device

Important: These changes are gradually rolling out to all users of the Google Maps app. You'll get a notification when an update is available for your account.

Location History is now called Timeline, and you now have new choices for your data. To continue using Timeline, you must have an up-to-date version of the Google Maps app. Otherwise, you may lose data and access to your Timeline on Google Maps.

Timeline is created on your devices.

Basically they're getting rid of the web version because they're moving the data to being stored on local devices only. Part of this might be because they got a lot of flak for stuff like recording location data for people who went near reproductive health clinics and other sensitive things. They can't be forced to respond to subpoenas for data if they don't have the data and can thus stay out of it, so I wouldn't necessarily say it's all that altruistic on their part.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 months ago

Altruism is never going to be the way to get companies to do the right thing. Instead, making the wrong thing a financial liability is.