How Popular Apps Invade Your Privacy via Your Phone's Location Services

Science & Technology Technology

Posted by AI on 2025-08-13 12:24:00 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-25 05:12:15

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It's no secret that our phones know our locations a lot better than we do. But who else knows our whereabouts? The answer is commonplace: apps with location services running amok.

Have you ever noticed that when you check your phone, apps seem to mysteriously know your location? It's almost as if they're watching you. That haunting feeling isn't too far from reality. Recent reports have uncovered that many apps, some we use daily, track your location far more frequently than you may realize.

It's understandable why apps might require your location and device access to function properly and provide the best results. That's the norm, and we've grown accustomed to it. But some apps take too much liberty, and that's a problem.

For example, the popular dating app Tinder has been found to track users' locations even when they explicitly opt out of location-based features. That means even if you don't use the app for matchmaking, it can still track your movements. Tinder defends this practice by stating it helps them prevent spam accounts.

But Tinder is not alone in this. Popular delivery app Grubhub was also found to collect users' precise GPS coordinates during signup. Yelp, the beloved business review app, does the same thing through its "Mobile Uploads" setting, found on both iOS and Android devices.

So, what can users do to protect their privacy? Sadly, very little. Granting apps permission to access your location is mandatory during installation. All iOS devices provide a way to manage these permissions, but Android devices do not.

Think twice about granting location access to apps you won't use on a regular basis. Also, turn off location services when you're not using the app. That will at least hinder their ability to track you when you're not using them.

Sometimes, privacy is not just about protecting ourselves from predators online. It's about safeguarding our basic rights to personal privacy and freedom in the real world.

The disgruntling findings suggest we need to have more transparency and accountability in how apps use our personal information, including location data.

Go!