In a move that surprises no one, Google is up to its old tricks again, and Android users should take note. This time, their actions have gained the attention of lawmakers outside of the US, spurring one privacy activist to file a complaint against them in French courts. The Attorney General of Arizona (US), Mark Brnovic, has filed suit against the tech giant over privacy concerns that are similar to those raised in the French lawsuit.
What has Google done now?
The issues are different, but similarities lie in the fact that Google is using hidden features of its Android app to track user activity or locations, even when permissions for such tracking have been rescinded.
In the Arizona case, it’s alleged that Google developed their Android OS in such a way that it enriches the company and its advertisers, but deceives its users.
“When consumers try to opt-out of Google’s collection of location data, the company is continuing to find misleading ways to obtain information and use it for profit,” explained Brnovic during an interview.
According to AG Brnovic, this is a violation of Arizona’s consumer protection laws, specifically their consumer fraud act.
The suit in France, which was filed by a campaign group called Noyb, accuses Google of violating EU privacy laws by illegally creating and storing unique advertising codes, essentially tracking a user’s online and offline activity. These codes are then collected, sold, or shared by Google and third parties in a way that supersedes user-granted permissions.
If true, that action is in direct violation of the EU’s GDPR regulations regarding data collection, and the financial cost may be much higher than in the Arizona case. The Attorney General there is asking for reimbursement of all profits gained through data monetization of Arizona residents, plus a $10,000 fine per violation. GDPR compliance violations and other charges have already cost the company billions in the EU.
Google’s long history of shenanigans
Unfortunately, corporate industries like oil, pharmaceuticals, and now tech have a long history of behavior that emphasizes profits over the greater good of society. Furthermore, this entanglement isn’t the first time that Google has faced such charges. In 2011, the FTC charged Google with deceptive privacy policies during its Buzz Social Network rollout.
Last year, Google settled with the FTC over Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) violations related to illegal tracking on YouTube. The corporation is also under investigation in all 50 states over anti-trust law violations.
Google is countering these charges by insisting that they offer complete transparency regarding privacy policies on all platforms, including their Chrome browser and Android operating system. They also claim that turning off tracking is as easy as going into the settings menu and toggling a switch.
However, investigators in Arizona found that geolocation is still enabled for some apps, such as mapping and weather unless a second, hard-to-find setting is turned off. Investigators in Arizona also claim that Android menus are a maze of confusion. Further, the suit alleges that Google had changed some default settings without properly informing users.
The problem with Geolocation tracking
It’s frustrating to hear friends say “So what if some tech company wants to track me. I’m pretty boring.” However, tracking your location and providing this information to third parties poses other problems beyond snooping and selling your data.
Third parties and potential criminals alike can also learn:
- Where you’re physically located in real-time. This can help a stalker find you or reveal when you’re not at home to thieves.
- The location of your job or your children’s school.
- Your travel routes, hangouts, and routines.
- Where and when you’re on vacation.
How to detect if your phone is still tracking your location
I’m one of those people who routinely turn off geo-tracking unless I’m on a long trip or going to an unfamiliar location closer to home. I also have a VPN installed on all of my devices. Imagine my surprise when I left a local eatery and received a Google alert while still in the parking lot asking how I enjoyed my meal.
That’s how I learned that my location was still being transmitted even after I disabled location sharing. And yes, I double-checked after that notification.
While I understand building customer profiles from a marketing POV, and I applaud the little mom-and-pop restaurant for keeping their local SEO current, I find such unexpected tracking intrusive. It can also be dangerous and downright creepy.
However, the presence of tracking software and hidden switches might not be so apparent as a surprise text or notification. The fastest way to find out if your apps are keeping tabs on you is to go to your data settings. Trackers need lots of data to analyze, so you’ll notice spikes of usage on specific apps.
Another indication is found within your battery usage, which is listed by app. Look for usage that doesn’t correspond with your activity or unfamiliar apps that use a lot of battery power or data.
If you notice faulty performance, constantly need to charge your phone regardless of use, or experience other unusual operational issues, it could mean that spyware is running through your phone.
Protect yourself from corporate overreach
Working with a tech giant like Google isn’t the same as dealing with a small startup that cares about its stakeholders.
What happens with your Android phone doesn’t stay on your Android phone, either. Since most smartphone OS are also linked with your Goggle account and synced with other devices, anyone with access to any of your linked accounts or devices can track you or sell your information to bad actors.
There are times when it’s important for your location to be known. But, that should be within your control rather than Google’s. Since we can’t trust Google to care more about its user base than its ad revenue, it’s up to us to protect ourselves.
First of all, realize that turning off your location in settings doesn’t stop geo-trackers from running in the background of other apps. You may have to go into settings app-by-app and turn off the location in each. Be aware that this may render some of these apps unusable.
Next, you’re going to tackle the tracking problem at the source. Go online and find the option to customize settings on your account or visit https://myactivity.google.com/. Once there, locate the activity controls menu on the left-hand side of the screen. This will show your activity for three different applications, internet & apps, location history, and YouTube. You can view history and customize your permissions by each activity.
