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Can Western intelligence agencies continue to track the movements of millions of users?
From December 1, 2024, Google will start storing Google Maps locally on users ' devices, rather than in their Google accounts.
These changes were announced back in December 2023, when the company also announced a reduction in the automatic data deletion period when location history is enabled from 18 to 3 months.
Google Maps Route History helps you track routes, trips, and places visited when your location history and online and app activity settings are enabled. However, with the future migration of storing this data on users ' devices, the ability to view it in the web version will be removed.
Updates will be gradually implemented for all users of the Google Maps app. Users are also advised to enable backup to store an encrypted copy of their history data on Google servers, which will make it easier to transfer it when they change devices.
These changes are part of a series of measures taken by Google in response to accusations that the company misled users and illegally tracked their movements, even when location history was turned off.
"Disabling' Location History 'when the' Web and App Activity 'option is enabled only prevents you from adding your movements to the 'timeline,' a visualization of your daily commute, " notes a 2018 Associated Press investigation. "This does not stop other Google location markers from being collected."
Since then, Google has already settled a dispute with several US states over the feature and agreed to pay $ 62 million to various non-profit organizations in April 2024. A similar lawsuit filed in Texas is still being considered.
From December 1, 2024, Google will start storing Google Maps locally on users ' devices, rather than in their Google accounts.
These changes were announced back in December 2023, when the company also announced a reduction in the automatic data deletion period when location history is enabled from 18 to 3 months.
Google Maps Route History helps you track routes, trips, and places visited when your location history and online and app activity settings are enabled. However, with the future migration of storing this data on users ' devices, the ability to view it in the web version will be removed.
Updates will be gradually implemented for all users of the Google Maps app. Users are also advised to enable backup to store an encrypted copy of their history data on Google servers, which will make it easier to transfer it when they change devices.
These changes are part of a series of measures taken by Google in response to accusations that the company misled users and illegally tracked their movements, even when location history was turned off.
"Disabling' Location History 'when the' Web and App Activity 'option is enabled only prevents you from adding your movements to the 'timeline,' a visualization of your daily commute, " notes a 2018 Associated Press investigation. "This does not stop other Google location markers from being collected."
Since then, Google has already settled a dispute with several US states over the feature and agreed to pay $ 62 million to various non-profit organizations in April 2024. A similar lawsuit filed in Texas is still being considered.
