A week after reports suggesting that Google apps track your movements even if location services are turned off, Google has updated its website to precisely explain the nature of its location policy. The company has now clarified that it continues to track users even if they’ve disabled the setting.
In the support page, Google said: “turning off the location setting does not affect other location services on your device, like Google Location Services and Find My Device” It further went on to say that some location data may be saved as part of your activity on other services, like Search and Maps. When you turn off Location History for your Google Account, it’s off for all devices associated with that Google Account.
However, Google earlier stated that with Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored. Earlier, researches found out that even with Location History paused, some Google apps automatically store time-stamped location data without asking for proper permissions. Google said to store a snapshot of your current location even if you merely open the Maps app or perform a search.
In a statement, the company told AP: “We have been updating the explanatory language about Location History to make it more consistent and clear across our platforms and help centers.” Of course, fixing the language doesn’t change the underlying issue of continued location tracking, nor does it fully clarify the company’s tracking policy.