Google has announced a change in how it stores Maps timeline data, with plans to move it to users’ devices instead of their Google accounts starting December 1, 2024. This decision was initially revealed by the tech giant in December 2023, which also included updates to the automatic deletion control when enabling Location History, setting it to three months by default. This is an increase from the previous limit of 18 months.
The Maps Timeline feature allows users to track their routes, trips, and visited places over time, provided that Location History and Web & App Activity settings are enabled. However, with the new change to store data locally on users’ devices, the ability to view the timeline on the web will be eliminated. Google stated that once the data is transferred to the phone, the Timeline will no longer be accessible in the Maps web version.
These updates are gradually being rolled out to all Google Maps app users, who are also encouraged to enable backups to securely save an encrypted copy of their timeline data on Google servers for easy transfer when changing devices.
This shift in data storage is a response to allegations of Google misleading consumers and unlawfully tracking their movements despite Location History being turned off in account settings. By exploiting non-obvious settings in Web and app activity, the company was accused of continuing to collect location data. An investigation by the Associated Press in 2018 revealed that turning off Location History only prevented Google from adding movements to the Timeline, but did not stop the collection of other location markers.
Google has faced legal actions from several US states for these practices, leading to the company agreeing to pay $62 million to various non-profit organizations in April 2024. A similar legal challenge in Texas is still pending.
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https://thehackernews.com/2024/06/google-maps-timeline-data-to-be-stored.html