Here's how your phone is tracking you

Friday, 21 December 2018

Dozens of apps use your location to create a better experience.

OPINION: Apps on your smartphone are collecting data on your location and may be selling it to companies.

The New York Times revealed how one company kept a database that tracked people's travels, with their location being updated hundreds of times a day.

That data was then sold by the app to advertisers and retail companies that use it to analyse consumer behaviour.

While everyone knows apps track your location, the story revealed how detailed that data is and how, while it's supposed to be anonymous, it's easy to identify people from that data.

* Ways to block or minimise online tracking**

You can simply turn off location services and the problem is solved, but an app such as Google Maps becomes all but useless.

The companies are not targeting specific individuals but the detailed nature of data creates a risk that it may be misused.

Dozens of apps use your location to create a better experience. Some of the most common ones are those for maps, cameras and fitness tracking, but you'll find that nearly all the apps on your phone want to access your location.

You have complete control over what apps use your location but if you refuse permission you lose a lot of functionality.

You can simply turn off location services and the problem is solved, but an app such as Google Maps becomes all but useless.

The best thing to do is go through all apps and decide which ones can use your location.

The problem is that if you do allow it, you have little understanding and no power over what happens to your location data.

Blayne Slabbert: 'You have complete control over what apps use your location but if you refuse permission you lose a lot of functionality.'

While most apps will inform you via their terms and conditions, it's buried in a subsection somewhere using confusing language.

Also, it's individual apps that are doing this, not Apple or Google, which make the operating systems and run the app stores.

However, those two companies could do a better job, forcing app creators to clearly state what they do with location data.

There is no list of 'naughty apps', you need to look at which ones you use and choose what apps can use your location.

On an iPhone, go to Settings, Privacy and then Location Services. You can then see what apps use your location and choose to either never allow them access, always allow or only track you while using the app.

On an Android device, go to Settings, Security and Location, Location and then App-level Permissions. You can only turn tracking on and off and apps will transmit your location even if not opened.