Google has now confirmed that the search engine giant tracks its users even when the feature is turned off by users. The news was broken by Princeton Researchers and the Associated Press earlier this week. The report detailed that whether you are on iOS or Android, many Google apps including Google Maps store a user's location whenever the application is open. 

© Google

Applications like Google Maps require access to your location in order to help users navigate in real-time. This means that users have to allow that access, especially on iOS. If users don't want their location data to be stored, Google offers a feature called 'Location History' with can pause the tracking.

Google's support page details that the Location History feature can be turned off if a user does not want data like places visited to be stored on Google's servers. "With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored," the document read. The AP investigation showed this was not entirely true. 

Google's updated the support page, which now says, "This setting does not affect other location services on your device," and adds, "Some location data may be saved as part of your activity on other services, like Search and Maps.”

© Reuters

"We have been updating the explanatory language about Location History to make it more consistent and clear across our platforms and help centers." Google said in a statement to AP.

If you don't want Google to store your location history and stop tracking altogether, you must disable "Web and App Activity" along with the Location History feature. Turning off the "Web and App Activity” will prevent Google from storing your location data on Google Maps. 

The new statement by Google and details about the feature is not likely going to sit well with users; however, it is great to see transparency from the search engine giant. 

Source: Associated Press