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Teri Webster reporting in theblaze.com
Whenever you open an app and authorize to use your location data, you risk it having it leaked or exploited.
Although location data is helpful for travel directions and weather reports, there is a downside to how the data is used — often unknowingly by smartphone users who are giving it away for free.
The information is often used for “location aware advertising,” those pesky ads that pop up when we’re driving near certain businesses. Dozens of companies track your location and send you ads based on this information.
Can’t we just turn off location tracking?
Turning off a phone’s location tracker is often not enough to keep you hidden from the prying eyes of data brokers.
For example, phone carriers always know where you are because they can tell which cell tower your phone uses. You are also tracked without choice while passing through open Wi-Fi hot spots. The phone’s Wi-Fi constantly broadcasts a “a unique MAC address and a history of past Wi-Fi connections, the report stated.
Retailers can also track you as you travel to and from their stores.
Another example is WeatherBug, an app that needs location data to provide forecast updates. Conveniently, WeatherBug is owned by GroundTruth, an advertising company. And all of the location data the app needs to operate is also being sold to outside companies, according to the report.
Content source credit: https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/03/04/smartphone-apps-are-tracking-and-selling-your-location-data-often-without-you-realizing-it
I hate this part about smartphones. upped!
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I did not know that using my phone you can track my location. Thank you for the useful information. And they listen too ???
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