Google is facing a lawsuit surrounding allegations that it illegally tracked millions of people through their phones, even after they set their privacy settings to disable the sharing of their location history.
Napoleon Patacsil of San Diego is seeking class-action status on behalf of US users of Android phones and Apple iPhones who were tracked against their will and knowledge.
Mr Patacsil claims Google’s “principal goal” was to “surreptitiously monitor” phone users and let third parties do the same.
“Google represented that a user ‘can turn off Location History at any time. With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored.’ This simply was not true,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit alleges that Google violates people’s privacy by falsely assuring them that turning off their “Location History” feature on their phones will prevent their movements from being tracked.
11 useful Google Maps features you didn’t know existed
1/11 Dive into your history
You can view your Google Maps History by visiting myactivity.google.com. In the search bar at the top of the page, you can filter by lots of different products, and Maps is one of them. Doing so will show you all the Maps data has on you, which you can delete.
2/11 Zoom with one finger
Phones seem to be rowing bigger by the year, and it’s not always easy to use them one-handed, especially if you want to zoom in on something on your screen. On the Google Maps app, you can zoom in and out with one finger by double-tapping – but keeping your finger on the screen on the second tap – and then dragging it up and down.
3/11 Time travel
You can see how places have changed over the years in Street View, by dragging Pegman (the small yellow figure) onto the map and clicking the clock icon. It’s not available for all locations though – only the places Google has pictured for older versions of Street View – and the furthest back you can go is 2008.
It’s fun though, and if you look closely, you’ll see Pegman turns into Back to the Future’s Doc Brown.
4/11 Create your own map
You can create your own custom map on desktop by opening the menu and clicking Your Places, Maps and Create Map. Give your map a name and a description, and add all of your favourite places. You can also collaborate on a map with other people, ideal for when you’re planning a holiday.
My Maps is also available as an app, separate to Google Maps.
5/11 Calibrate your compass
This isn’t an issue that’s specific to Google Maps, but it’s incredibly annoying. Every now and then you might find yourself walking in completely the wrong direction because your phone’s compass has gone wrong. Fortunately, you can calibrate it by moving your phone in a figure 8 motion a few times.
6/11 Add stops to your journey
Everyone knows Google Maps can direct you from one location to another, you can add multiple stops to your journey too.
On the app, after you’ve entered your starting point and destination, hit the menu button in the top-right corner of the screen and select Add Stop. On desktop, click Add Destination and drag and drop the addresses to reorder your journey.
7/11 Explore
You can easily find great places to hang out by tapping Explore in the main menu of the Google Maps app. Each of the sections is split into specific sub-sections (such as Keep it Cheap and Quick Bites), and every place has a rating and a description.
Also, if you’ve ever wondered what the orange shaded bits on Google Maps indicate, they’re “areas of interest” Google believes to be worth exploring.
8/11 Share the places you love
If you’re planning to meet friends somewhere, you can make the process much smoother by sharing the right location with them. On the app, find the location you’re after, tap More Info and Share. On desktop, find the right address and click Share.
9/11 Share your location
You can track your friends or let them track you in real-time with Google Maps, so everyone knows who’s on time and who’s running late. In the app, hit the menu button and tap Location Sharing.
10/11 Save data
You can save mobile data (and money) by downloading offline maps for certain areas in advance. On the app, hit the menu button and select Offline Maps, then find the area you want and hit Download. You can also find Wi-Fi Only mode in the main menu of the app, which means you can only access your saved offline maps.
On desktop meanwhile, you can use Google Maps Lite for when you’re on a slow internet connection.
11/11 Remember where you parked
The Google Maps app can save where you’ve parked your car. Once you’ve found a spot, all you need to do is tap your blue location dot and select Save Your Parking.
1/11 Dive into your history
You can view your Google Maps History by visiting myactivity.google.com. In the search bar at the top of the page, you can filter by lots of different products, and Maps is one of them. Doing so will show you all the Maps data has on you, which you can delete.
2/11 Zoom with one finger
Phones seem to be rowing bigger by the year, and it’s not always easy to use them one-handed, especially if you want to zoom in on something on your screen. On the Google Maps app, you can zoom in and out with one finger by double-tapping – but keeping your finger on the screen on the second tap – and then dragging it up and down.
3/11 Time travel
You can see how places have changed over the years in Street View, by dragging Pegman (the small yellow figure) onto the map and clicking the clock icon. It’s not available for all locations though – only the places Google has pictured for older versions of Street View – and the furthest back you can go is 2008.
It’s fun though, and if you look closely, you’ll see Pegman turns into Back to the Future’s Doc Brown.
4/11 Create your own map
You can create your own custom map on desktop by opening the menu and clicking Your Places, Maps and Create Map. Give your map a name and a description, and add all of your favourite places. You can also collaborate on a map with other people, ideal for when you’re planning a holiday.
My Maps is also available as an app, separate to Google Maps.
5/11 Calibrate your compass
This isn’t an issue that’s specific to Google Maps, but it’s incredibly annoying. Every now and then you might find yourself walking in completely the wrong direction because your phone’s compass has gone wrong. Fortunately, you can calibrate it by moving your phone in a figure 8 motion a few times.
6/11 Add stops to your journey
Everyone knows Google Maps can direct you from one location to another, you can add multiple stops to your journey too.
On the app, after you’ve entered your starting point and destination, hit the menu button in the top-right corner of the screen and select Add Stop. On desktop, click Add Destination and drag and drop the addresses to reorder your journey.
7/11 Explore
You can easily find great places to hang out by tapping Explore in the main menu of the Google Maps app. Each of the sections is split into specific sub-sections (such as Keep it Cheap and Quick Bites), and every place has a rating and a description.
Also, if you’ve ever wondered what the orange shaded bits on Google Maps indicate, they’re “areas of interest” Google believes to be worth exploring.
8/11 Share the places you love
If you’re planning to meet friends somewhere, you can make the process much smoother by sharing the right location with them. On the app, find the location you’re after, tap More Info and Share. On desktop, find the right address and click Share.
9/11 Share your location
You can track your friends or let them track you in real-time with Google Maps, so everyone knows who’s on time and who’s running late. In the app, hit the menu button and tap Location Sharing.
10/11 Save data
You can save mobile data (and money) by downloading offline maps for certain areas in advance. On the app, hit the menu button and select Offline Maps, then find the area you want and hit Download. You can also find Wi-Fi Only mode in the main menu of the app, which means you can only access your saved offline maps.
On desktop meanwhile, you can use Google Maps Lite for when you’re on a slow internet connection.
11/11 Remember where you parked
The Google Maps app can save where you’ve parked your car. Once you’ve found a spot, all you need to do is tap your blue location dot and select Save Your Parking.
An investigation by the Associated Press, published last week, first revealed the extent of Google’s tracking.
At the time, Google said it was clear about how it used and stored people’s data.
“There are a number of different ways that Google may use location to improve people’s experience, including: Location, History, Web and App Activity, and through device-level Location Services,” a spokesperson said.
“We provide clear descriptions of these tools, and robust controls so people can turn them on or off, and delete their histories at any time.”
The help section of Google’s website has since been update to say that turning Location History off “does not affect other location services” in phones, and that some location data may be saved through other services, such as Search and Maps.
Mr Patacsil is seeking unspecified damages in his case against Google.
Additional reporting by agencies.
