this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2025
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Privacy

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Google keeps asking about turning on my location timeline, trying to push for me to turn ON Ad tracking.

Are they stupid? If I'm the type of person who went out of his way to turn this crap off ...do they really think saying "Your in Control" is going to encourage me to turn this s*** back on?

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[–] DavidGarcia 85 points 6 days ago (2 children)

they're not doing it to get you to turn it back on, but your mom who you turned it off for. drives me mad how often I have to redisable privacy nightmares everytime my mom asks me to help her with her phone.

[–] Keyboard@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago
[–] Nyadia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 40 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Big tech doesn't believe in the concept of consent. It's why all the "no"s turned into "not now"s and "ask me again later"s like a decade ago.

[–] burrito@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 days ago

I leave a lot of one star reviews for anything that pulls that crap.

[–] 2fm@lemmy.world 29 points 6 days ago

Do you want X?

No.

Ok we'll we'll ask again in a minute.

[–] irmadlad@lemmy.world 20 points 6 days ago (1 children)

OP, I'm not going to castigate you for your Google usage. I am going to assume that you are aware of the privacy concerns when dealing with Google since you are posting here in a Privacy chan. Sometimes, people are required to use Google services and there is no way around that. If that were my situation, I'd use a sandbox, VPN, 7 diff proxies, and a hazmat suit. If this Google usage is not required by say an employer, I'd find something more private.

Google does have some pretty cool technology. Unfortunately most of it, if not all, is built off of data theft.

[–] smokeppb@hexbear.net 19 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Bro Bro bro it will make the ads better bro Bro don't you want more localized ads bro turn on tracking bro

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 7 points 6 days ago

Well without these slop picture, how would I know what to waste my money on?!?!?

Normie, circa 2025

[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 12 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Knowing Google, they're almost certainly collecting the data anyway. Your privacy panel only toggles what data they let you see. Not saying you should turn it back on, but ideally don't sign in when using Google or don't use it at all.

[–] Chulk@lemmy.ml 15 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I think they know that most people will eventually give in (or accidentally say yes) if they have to close a notification every time they want to do something.

Like you, I aim not to be "most people."

[–] WaffleWarrior@lemmy.zip 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

My confusion is how are they allowed to do this. Why do I have to weekly opt out of location services again and again. If they don't want me using the app without it, just block me. There need to be laws requiring all of this crap to be Opt IN if it's devices are mixed with telecommunications

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 9 points 6 days ago

Youe feelings are valid and we should be pushing for proepr regulation.

However, let's be real it isn't happening. This is just one aspect of the class war. Most people are unwilling to go into proepr opposition ie stop using their slop services. They will keep doing this.

It is up to you how much abuse you will accept before taking direct action to punish the parasite.

[–] kehet@sopuli.xyz 8 points 5 days ago

Yes they do. And it works for regular user. You just aren't a regular user.

[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 12 points 5 days ago

Lineage with no gapps for me. It's a breath of fresh air.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 12 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Not fake setting? lmao

We do not control the software. It fails to include a libre software licence text file.

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago

What does it matter? They have your gps data. Location timeline is only saving the data they already steal to your phone so you can use it too instead of only advertisers.

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

It's not spyware anymore. It's stored on device so Google does not have access to it. It was a big issue when they did this as people could not longer log into the website and view their history. Right now there is no way to back it up so if you loose your phone you loose your history.

Reading these comments first nobody knows Google moved it locally.

[–] WaffleWarrior@lemmy.zip 6 points 5 days ago

Of course .....locally 😏 I can trust Google can't I!?

[–] shaggyb@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

Okay so it doesn't matter that I don't let them collect it in the first place so there's no reason to turn it on, cool.

Unless you're wrong of course, but I trust you, random paragraph I encountered anonymously on an internet forum and engaged with for 8 seconds before moving on with my life forever. You couldn't possibly have a vested interest in misleading me and hey my coffee is ready.

[–] P00ptart@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

My timeline is off and all my ads that mention location think I'm in Omaha Nebraska for some reason.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I am gonna come off as a dick here but OP is stupid enough to have google anything on their most personal of devices

I don't even like YouTube on my TV but suffer it for access.

Using a Google phone as a normie is like being a young actress and doing an audition with Weinstein

[–] Chip_Rat@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

I'm gonna come off as a dick here but sunzu2 is stupid enough to have YouTube on their TV? At that point might as well just buy a pixel.

(Maybe a polite link to ways to degoogle a phone would be more productive and make you less of a dick.)

[–] Nighed@feddit.uk 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Unpopular opinion (here anyway):

Google timeline is really useful! Let's you know where you where when you need to know. Have used it, or told people to use it multiple times when someone needs to know when/how long they have been out of the country, or when they moved house etc.

They made a change recently so that it's all local or something? Not sure how that works.

Having home, work and other key locations set in Google maps is also..... Really useful.

[–] kuhli@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 days ago

I've never come a cross a situation where I need to know how long I've been somewhere more accurately than I can remember that I can't easily figure out some other way

You can also age locations in Google maps without having to store your location 24/7

[–] mugita_sokiovt@discuss.online 2 points 6 days ago

Neigsendoig has a solution for that that I looked into, and found to be a good idea. I'd recommend Untraceable Digital Dissident, as one of the articles talks about how your phone is a snitch.

[–] officialdakari@sopuli.xyz 1 points 6 days ago (2 children)

whenever I log into my Google, it asks me to add my home address

[–] GenosseFlosse@feddit.org 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

They don't need that, they already know where your phone is at night and the next morning.

[–] Samsy@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 days ago

As a thief I cannot confirm this.

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

You can type whatever you want. I learned that from The Blues Brothers.

[–] officialdakari@sopuli.xyz 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

i just always click "skip"

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

Yeah but if you type in 1060 W Addison St, Chicago, IL 60613, they won't hassle you again.