If you are using an Android phone, Google may be tracking you everywhere you go. There is a ‘feature’ associated with some Google apps embedded in Android devices called location history. Initiating location history requires you to opt in. However, avoiding the opt in is almost impossible if you are using Google Maps, Google Assistant, Photos and/or the primary Google app because those tools come with location history baked into the terms of use.
Google describes location history this way:
Your Location History helps you get better results and recommendations on Google products. For example, you can see recommendations based on places you’ve visited with signed-in devices or traffic predictions for your daily commute.
Your timeline in Google Maps helps you find the places you’ve been and the routes you’ve traveled. Your timeline is private, so only you can see it.
I have previously written about how Google might be using your mobile device to track your activity in order to rank and recommend local businesses in your search results. You can read more about that here: http://digitalmarketingnews.digitalreciprocity.com/we-are-all-googlebots/
To access your location history login in to your Google account and go to https://myactivity.google.com. Navigate to other Google activity and you will see a screen that looks like this:
From here you can drill down into specific device information, search history and other elements. For now, click on ‘Visit Timeline’ under Location History. You will see a screen that show you a map with pin points of locations you have visited and a timeline that you can adjust to view specific activity during specific date ranges or on a particular day.
This is where things get a little creepy. I selected August 13th, 2016 from my timeline. As you can see on the right hand side there is a tracked map showing my driving route, the stops I made and locations I visited. On the left panel below the date range you can scroll through the activity for more detailed information including the name of the location visited, how long I was there, what time I arrived and what time I departed.
What are your thoughts?
The first time I saw went through the app I was a little shocked at the level of detail and frankly, the accuracy of the data. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised. Google does offer the option of deleting entries and/or entire date ranges from your activity center. Here are complete instructions on how to manage and delete your location history or turn it off entirely: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3118687?hl=en