I used to let apps hoover up my location data without a second thought - now I block everything that doesn't need it

Back in 2018, I downloaded a cheap weather app that asked for my GPS location and I just clicked 'allow'. Didn't think twice about it. Then I got a notification from Google saying my phone had tracked me visiting 47 different stores over three months. Turns out that weather app was selling my location to data brokers. Now I only give location permission to navigation apps like Maps, and even then I set it to 'while using'. Everything else gets blocked. Anyone else go through a phase where you just handed over your data without reading a single permission prompt?

3 comments

3 Comments

leehall7d ago

Always" permission for a QR scanner sounds about right. @smith.nancy, that flashlight app thing hit close to home - I found an old tip calculator that had full location access, which made me wonder what kind of local sales data it thought it needed.

smith.nancy8d ago

Got a follow-up for you - after you locked that weather app down, did you ever go back and check what other apps already had your location from before you started blocking them? Cause I found like six apps on my phone that had permanent access that I totally forgot about, including a flashlight app that had no business knowing where I was at any given time. Made me wonder how many years of my movement data was just sitting there being sold off without me having a clue.

sean8547d ago

Dude, YES. I had the exact same freakout after I locked things down. I went through my entire app list and found a stupid QR code scanner I hadn't opened in like two years that had my location on "always." And a coupon app for a grocery store I don't even shop at anymore. It's terrifying to think how much of our daily movement data was just flowing out to who knows where. Really makes you wonder what kind of profile they built on us without us ever agreeing to it.