Google facing a lawsuit over Android location tracking

01 May, 2011
It appears that Google are to suffer the same troublesome press as Apple have of late, due to the discovery of an Android based tracking system, not too dissimilar to the one recently brought to light on the iPhone 4....

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  • A
  • Annonymous
  • PSd
  • 01 May 2011

Hitman, 01 May 2011I guess android is trying to copy everything in Apple even ... moreOk.. anything else by your foresight?

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • pqy
    • 01 May 2011

    i am worried about my credit card data on apple store

      • u
      • unknown
      • BwW
      • 01 May 2011

      all phones has its own advantage and disadvantages. if people are not comfortable about a certain service or apps then dont use it. =)

        • n
        • nick
        • nxw
        • 01 May 2011

        paters, 01 May 2011When you tick the box for Use wireless networks. disclaime... morewell said!

        I agreed to it, so I dont have a problem with it. the message which comes up is very clear

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • sxt
          • 01 May 2011

          Symbian never had this "tracking" problem. Too bad its so fluffy its gonna die.

            • p
            • paters
            • M3s
            • 01 May 2011

            When you tick the box for Use wireless networks.
            disclaimer arisses for you to agree or disagree,

            Which by words is

            Location Consent
            Allow Google's location service
            to collect anonymous location
            data. Collection will occur even
            when no applications are running

            Agree Disagree

            how is that without you knowing?

              • M
              • Mustafa
              • Snr
              • 01 May 2011

              This is got to crazy. If these 2 guys win agianst Google, who gets the money. $50 mill is a lot and I would expect them to share it with the millions of android user.

              Otherwise google FTW

                • D
                • AnonD-7449
                • pJd
                • 01 May 2011

                Scared, 01 May 2011I have disabled Internet on my Galaxy S and will now only e... moreIt looks as if someone (suddenly) became security aware.

                If you want to use Chrome but don't want to share your data with Google, use SRWare Iron.

                If some application requires unlimited permissions dump that application and find a similar one and/or send an email to the devs asking why their app needs the permissions that it needs. That's what any reasonable man would do if security is of importance.

                And yes, the safest thing is not go outside because bad things happen there.

                  • D
                  • D79_
                  • n5P
                  • 01 May 2011

                  Dont every android owner have full control of wat they share etc... so how can anyone try and sue google, plus if just 2 individuals sue for $50 million then i think alot more ppl around the world would jump on the bandwagon ay.

                  I havent played with the new iphone4 so not sure if u have full control on wat u wanna share or not but i dnt think it has the option like android mobiles so then i would understand that bein tracked and not knowin is wrong. Google advertises it all over the phone about trackin.

                  I also think this is a steve jobs bit of work as iphone is gettin sued ao he wouldnt want to be alone, just like the reception problem, they mentioned about other mobiles havin the same problems what clearly they dont coz u dnt see other mobiles other than iphone4 with a bumper case every where u go

                    • C
                    • C.J.Sparrow
                    • IkS
                    • 01 May 2011

                    lolcat, 01 May 2011i don't care about these location tracking bs...just turn o... moreTurning off your GPS doesn't prevent you from being tracked !!
                    and no one said google is interested in individuals ... suppose that "I" am interested in where you were 2 month ago ... the only thing i need is your phone and a USB cable to find out, thanks to google !!!!

                      • k
                      • kaien
                      • tVw
                      • 01 May 2011

                      being fear of getting tracked is never been about being special. It is not a specia right, it is everyones right to have privacy protected under the law. So respect that. However, Google did disclose that information of location is being collected and is asking consent of doing so when the phone is being activated. So google can dispute on that fact.

                      I am not an Android user and I do not know how much the phone will function without ticking that function so I cannot give detail insight about it. However, I suspect that it might not function as proper without it, and the users could dispute on the fact that Google is indirectly manipulating on that to have their location tracked.

                        • D
                        • AnonD-7449
                        • pJd
                        • 01 May 2011

                        It's not about being special. Supposedly, all human beings are equal and have equal rights.
                        As for the actual data storage, when I tick "Use wireless networks" in "My location" settings on HTC Hero, I get "Location consent" message that reads "Allow Google's location service to collect anonymous location data. Data collection will occur even when no applications are running". It is clearly stated and there is no need to read huge EULA (as in the case of Apple) to find this out.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • YUf
                          • 01 May 2011

                          i bet sonyericsson is next

                            • H
                            • Hitman
                            • nXE
                            • 01 May 2011

                            I guess android is trying to copy everything in Apple even a thing that can cause them problems lol :D

                              • S
                              • Scared
                              • mWm
                              • 01 May 2011

                              I have disabled Internet on my Galaxy S and will now only enable it in case of an emergency.

                              I will also refrain from storing any important data on the memory card since it is now at risk of being secretly transmitted to Google or any other third party. Most applications require during installation unlimited rights which they do not need at all, so an Android device can never be trusted.

                              I will also not launch Google Chrome that does the same as Android - scans WLANs in the neighborhood and sends the data to Google.

                              It was a fantastic beginning but a pitiful end. I think I will eventually revert to using simple mobile phones with no advanced functionality. Is safer this way.

                                • D
                                • AnonD-5791
                                • wHS
                                • 01 May 2011

                                $50 million...WOW...they really wish to be millionaire in 1 night...

                                  • l
                                  • lolcat
                                  • wHR
                                  • 01 May 2011

                                  lolcat, 01 May 2011i don't care about these location tracking bs...just turn o... moreand are u so special that large companies spy on u on wherever u go? They have better things to do & they don't care on individuals. they care about stats collected anonymously based on aggregates. This privacy thing is turning absurd.
                                  btw, im no advocate. Im just an individual who does not matter.

                                    • v
                                    • von
                                    • v0q
                                    • 01 May 2011

                                    If this stupidity continues on ad lawsuit continues to build for Apple and google and they became bankrupt we all might return to the symbian era lol These people are ridiculous really. They're not that important to worry about their location privacy! For all I know Google is the only thing that has stalked them!

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • 3xL
                                      • 01 May 2011

                                      50 million $ this remind me the blue strike movie when def Chappell asked martin lowrence for his share from the stoled diamond 50 million $ hahhahhaha .

                                        • d
                                        • d
                                        • Lax
                                        • 01 May 2011

                                        I trust google, they are quite transparent.
                                        I don't trust apple, they're not transparent at all.
                                        Android was always open and the information to what information is collected, when, and in what mode, has always been available. I've read it when I bought my Android phone.
                                        Apple just states, somewhere in the EULA it reserves the right to always track you.