Location Tracking

Yes. Multiple systems constantly log your position.

How your phone tracks you:

• GPS satellites
• Cell tower connections
• WiFi network scanning
• Bluetooth beacons
• IP address

Who gets this data:

• Apple/Google (your phone’s OS)
• Your carrier
• Any app with location permission
• Advertisers and data brokers

Your location history reveals:

Where you live, work, shop, worship, who you spend time with, and everywhere you’ve been.

To limit tracking:

• Turn off location services when not needed
• Set apps to “While Using” instead of “Always”
• Use airplane mode when you want to go dark
• Leave your phone behind (only 100% solution)

Even with location off, your carrier still tracks you via cell towers.

Both Apple and Google store detailed logs of where you’ve been.

On iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → System Services → Significant Locations → Clear History

On Android/Google: Go to myactivity.google.com → Location History → Delete

Also check: Google Maps timeline at google.com/maps/timeline

Important:

• Deleting from your phone doesn’t delete backups
• Apps may have their own copies
• Your carrier has independent records

Prevent future tracking:

Set apps to “While Using” or disable location entirely. Review permissions regularly — most apps don’t actually need your location.

Yes, unless you’ve disabled it. Most phones embed GPS coordinates into every photo.

What’s in your photos:

• Exact GPS coordinates
• Date and time
• Device model
• Camera settings

The risk:

Post a photo from home = your address is embedded. Share a photo of your kid = their school location is embedded.

Turn it off:

• iPhone: Settings → Privacy → Location Services → Camera → Never
• Android: Camera app → Settings → Disable “Save location”

Before sharing existing photos:

• iPhone: When sharing, tap “Options” → Turn off Location
• Android: Use a metadata removal app

Don’t rely on social media to strip this data — remove it yourself.

If your car was made in the last 10 years, almost certainly yes.

What modern cars collect:

• GPS location history
• Speed and driving behavior
• When and how long you drive
• Phone numbers you call (if connected)
• Sometimes voice recordings

Who gets it:

• Car manufacturer (transmitted via cellular)
• Insurance companies (if you opted into “discounts”)
• Law enforcement (can request records)
• Data brokers

Connected car warning:

When you connect your phone, your contacts and call history may be uploaded. Rental cars keep previous drivers’ data.

To limit tracking:

• Don’t connect your phone
• Disable cellular/WiFi in car settings
• Delete your data before returning rental cars

Yes. Fitness trackers and running apps often share more than you realize.

The problem:

In 2018, Strava’s public “heatmap” accidentally revealed secret military base locations because soldiers were tracking their runs.

What fitness apps share:

• Your running/cycling routes
• Where you start and end (usually home)
• When you exercise
• Your daily patterns

Privacy risks:

• Public profiles show where you live
• Predictable routines make you vulnerable
• Data gets shared with third parties

How to protect yourself:

• Use private profiles, not public
• Enable “privacy zones” around home/work
• Disable route sharing
• Check who can see your activities
• Consider offline-only tracking

Many fitness apps have privacy settings — but they’re often off by default. Review them.