Facebook Location History View(facebook.com)
facebook.com
Facebook Location History View
https://www.facebook.com/location_history/view/
85 comments
For this only the notice that it's turned off comes up for me. Great. Alas it's Google that knows everywhere I've been https://google.com/maps/timeline?pb
The google maps data showing makes sense (you're using maps, so why not offering the timeline of places you visited on maps).
But the FB location history to me is just out of the blue. FB was meant to be just a social network, why the heck do they need that information, I thought FB just connect me with my friends (and do things related to that). It's a bit abusive imho.
P.S. I'm aware of all the scandals, regulations, profile shadowing etc.
But the FB location history to me is just out of the blue. FB was meant to be just a social network, why the heck do they need that information, I thought FB just connect me with my friends (and do things related to that). It's a bit abusive imho.
P.S. I'm aware of all the scandals, regulations, profile shadowing etc.
> so why not
Sorry but this is fucked up. Why not not. Yesterday's discussion on overheads of GDPR rattled me into mild headache and today you prove why exactly GDPR came to be. It's none of <oversea corporation XYZ>'s business to know where I've been. That's why not.
> But the FB location history to me is just out of the blue
It's analogous.
Sorry but this is fucked up. Why not not. Yesterday's discussion on overheads of GDPR rattled me into mild headache and today you prove why exactly GDPR came to be. It's none of <oversea corporation XYZ>'s business to know where I've been. That's why not.
> But the FB location history to me is just out of the blue
It's analogous.
> It's none of <oversea corporation XYZ>'s business to know where I've been
Totally agree with you.
What I'm trying to say is that the `location history` as a feature makes sense in google maps, because, well it's a map app.
But the fact that FB knows where I've been even though I don't have the FB app on the phone, only the Messenger Lite, is a total surprise to me.
Totally agree with you.
What I'm trying to say is that the `location history` as a feature makes sense in google maps, because, well it's a map app.
But the fact that FB knows where I've been even though I don't have the FB app on the phone, only the Messenger Lite, is a total surprise to me.
> well it's a map app.
20 years ago when the world ran on paper maps people didn't need to communicate their location to map makers via phone, so why would they have that need now?
20 years ago when the world ran on paper maps people didn't need to communicate their location to map makers via phone, so why would they have that need now?
We are not 20 years ago, the location history can be useful to a lot of people and in a map app this feature deserve it's place (with the possibility to opt out of course).
I understand your frustration, but I think we are exaggerating a bit because of these FB scandals. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure Google is abusive in data collecting too. But it doesn't mean we need to cut all the nice features from now days technology.
P.S. Overall I agree with your point, and I think GDPR is a good start in regulating Evil corps. Hope I don't contribute to your headache today :)
I understand your frustration, but I think we are exaggerating a bit because of these FB scandals. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure Google is abusive in data collecting too. But it doesn't mean we need to cut all the nice features from now days technology.
P.S. Overall I agree with your point, and I think GDPR is a good start in regulating Evil corps. Hope I don't contribute to your headache today :)
> We are not 20 years ago
We both know that, but if you tried to say that people's needs have radically changed in that time then I fail to see how.
> can be useful to a lot of people
It sounds to me more like an excuse product managers have come up with to explain away why one would plausibly use an invasive feature most people wouldn't give informed consent for. And a lot of people isn't most people or most informed people. I would think most people would be satisfied with offline location bookmarking just as they were with sharpie scribbling 20 years ago. And if they were properly informed they probably wouldn't agree to 24/7 tracking with a chance of loan or job denial on the off chance that it will help them find a place they've forgot to bookmark and couldn't possibly find it via google no matter how hard they tried.
> GDPR is a good start in regulating Evil corps
Yes, evil corps are evil but GDPR is completely mindbogglingly shit start. And it makes things worse. Ask yourself, how do you authenticate a person who emailed you GDPR data request? How do you know you aren't talking with your user's spouse or a hacker and are make things worse for that user by dumping data to requester?
We both know that, but if you tried to say that people's needs have radically changed in that time then I fail to see how.
> can be useful to a lot of people
It sounds to me more like an excuse product managers have come up with to explain away why one would plausibly use an invasive feature most people wouldn't give informed consent for. And a lot of people isn't most people or most informed people. I would think most people would be satisfied with offline location bookmarking just as they were with sharpie scribbling 20 years ago. And if they were properly informed they probably wouldn't agree to 24/7 tracking with a chance of loan or job denial on the off chance that it will help them find a place they've forgot to bookmark and couldn't possibly find it via google no matter how hard they tried.
> GDPR is a good start in regulating Evil corps
Yes, evil corps are evil but GDPR is completely mindbogglingly shit start. And it makes things worse. Ask yourself, how do you authenticate a person who emailed you GDPR data request? How do you know you aren't talking with your user's spouse or a hacker and are make things worse for that user by dumping data to requester?
> How do you know you aren't talking with your user's spouse or a hacker and are make things worse for that user by dumping data to requester?
Playing devils advocate here - don’t store a single thing more than needed. It’s a toxic liability.
Playing devils advocate here - don’t store a single thing more than needed. It’s a toxic liability.
> don’t store a single thing more than needed
Easier said than done and is harder than what sanctimonious pricks that designed this law probably had in mind.
Everyone with presence on Apple's platforms fears them like the wrath of God and you can't risk not storing data that your users _volunteered_ if that will help you stay on Apple's good side by having better control over more abusive portion of your users.
Then there's the question of whether it is ethical to delete data that was volunteered that could however aid in discovering criminals that chose to abuse your system. Authors of these laws probably think that and nsa would know that I would often seem to agree with them but deep down I'm not so sure as I have deep suspicion that we are cared for and our european security is deeply dependent on arrangements similar to ones done in bletchley. If it's moral for them to store data then it should be by analogy for us. Or in short I dread that my inaction on my web properties would aid existing criminality so out of ethical considerations I'd rather store more.
But now with GDPR I have fears of scenarios like someone admitting to cheating on their spouse on my properties, deleting that info later on, then the spouse discovering that through GDPR request and committing physical violence. Or dictators hunting dissidents by submitting GDPR requests over european VPN. (edit: maybe they wouldn't even need VPN as I'm from EU and would have to grant requests irrespective of user's citizenship? headache)
I don't want to contribute to either scenario but it would seem EU is thrusting this headache of a choice on me, so as a citizen of EU country, fuck the EU.
Easier said than done and is harder than what sanctimonious pricks that designed this law probably had in mind.
Everyone with presence on Apple's platforms fears them like the wrath of God and you can't risk not storing data that your users _volunteered_ if that will help you stay on Apple's good side by having better control over more abusive portion of your users.
Then there's the question of whether it is ethical to delete data that was volunteered that could however aid in discovering criminals that chose to abuse your system. Authors of these laws probably think that and nsa would know that I would often seem to agree with them but deep down I'm not so sure as I have deep suspicion that we are cared for and our european security is deeply dependent on arrangements similar to ones done in bletchley. If it's moral for them to store data then it should be by analogy for us. Or in short I dread that my inaction on my web properties would aid existing criminality so out of ethical considerations I'd rather store more.
But now with GDPR I have fears of scenarios like someone admitting to cheating on their spouse on my properties, deleting that info later on, then the spouse discovering that through GDPR request and committing physical violence. Or dictators hunting dissidents by submitting GDPR requests over european VPN. (edit: maybe they wouldn't even need VPN as I'm from EU and would have to grant requests irrespective of user's citizenship? headache)
I don't want to contribute to either scenario but it would seem EU is thrusting this headache of a choice on me, so as a citizen of EU country, fuck the EU.
>if you tried to say that people's needs have radically changed in that time then I fail to see how.
Their needs have changed, because their expectations have changed. 20 years ago I didn't expect my map to be able to ask my calendar when I had to be at a place, to figure out ahead of time the best route. It's a niche example but I think the point stands.
Their needs have changed, because their expectations have changed. 20 years ago I didn't expect my map to be able to ask my calendar when I had to be at a place, to figure out ahead of time the best route. It's a niche example but I think the point stands.
> so why not offering the timeline of places you visited on maps
Because I don't want them to store it. It's ridiculously user-hostile and privacy-intrusive that Google maps won't even save your searches if you have location history turned off.
If only my phone had some sort of area where you could store data locally, then maybe I wouldn't have to keep typing the same thing over and over again in Maps. One can only dream.
Because I don't want them to store it. It's ridiculously user-hostile and privacy-intrusive that Google maps won't even save your searches if you have location history turned off.
If only my phone had some sort of area where you could store data locally, then maybe I wouldn't have to keep typing the same thing over and over again in Maps. One can only dream.
> you're using maps, so why not offering the timeline of places you visited on maps
That functionality is tied in with Google Assistant as well, so if you have it enabled it tracks your Android phone all the time, not just when you're using Google Maps.
That functionality is tied in with Google Assistant as well, so if you have it enabled it tracks your Android phone all the time, not just when you're using Google Maps.
> "why the heck do they need that information"
So that they can make money so that they can provide the social network services for free to everyone, so that they can actually have a large social network.
So that they can make money so that they can provide the social network services for free to everyone, so that they can actually have a large social network.
They make money by selling ads. I'm not sure why storing users' entire location history helps with this.
so they can make more effective ads.
Location history is OFF for both Google and Facebook for me
To add on to this, if people are interested in their location data, they can download it as JSON via the Google Takeout function:
https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout?pli=1
https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout?pli=1
Wow, they (Google) really keep everything.. They've still got my trip to Europe from 5 years ago on there, not sure how that's useful to them at this point haha.
They keep it because it's useful to you, not because it's useful to them. You're just looking at it too cynically.
I must disagree.
Spending some time thinking how this info is useful to the end user as opposed to the data watcher / holder. I believe that this data is exponentially less useful for the end user as it is for the persons adversaries.
Cell phone companies for example may have legitimate reasons to keep location data for billing disputes for 60 days or so, but holding that data longer makes it available to all kinds of agencies, law enforcers and those with that kind of access who would abuse that access, marketing groups, divorce lawyers, accident attorneys, all kinds of possible things that are detrimental to the end user.
The data companies profit from sharing this data, and it costs the end user. Whatever benefits one can come up with, I think the scale is obviously tipped in the "more useful against you" than "for you" direction when it comes to long term location storage.
Cell phone companies for example may have legitimate reasons to keep location data for billing disputes for 60 days or so, but holding that data longer makes it available to all kinds of agencies, law enforcers and those with that kind of access who would abuse that access, marketing groups, divorce lawyers, accident attorneys, all kinds of possible things that are detrimental to the end user.
The data companies profit from sharing this data, and it costs the end user. Whatever benefits one can come up with, I think the scale is obviously tipped in the "more useful against you" than "for you" direction when it comes to long term location storage.
The phone company doesn't hold it for you on your behalf; they don't have some frontend where you can query and see it. Google does hold it on your behalf. It's used for you in Google Maps to surface places you regularly go over places you've never been. This is why "directions to the pizza place" works. Location history is also used to automatically deduce your home, work, or school location, so you can use a command like "navigate to school" with Android Auto, or get traffic alerts along your normal routes, just as examples.
It could be useful to them in the future. You're just not looking at it cynically enough.
How do you know it's not useful to them? How can we have any way to know definitively how our data is used?
You forgot /s
I used this feature to figure out that my wife was cheating on me! So it was useful!
They know you've traveled to Europe, they know all the places you went and how long you were in each one. How is that not useful?
>> Wow, they (Google) really keep everything.. They've still got my trip to Europe from 5 years ago on there, not sure how that's useful to them at this point haha.
> They know you've traveled to Europe, they know all the places you went and how long you were in each one. How is that not useful?
But how is deriving those facts from 5 year old location data actually useful to them? AFAIK, they don't try to drive "engagement" by inducing nostalgia with push notifications [1]. I don't really see the use of old data like that for ad-targeting beyond a coarse "travels internationally"-type categories that don't really require keeping the data around.
[1] Remember when you were in Europe? Wasn't it fun? We were there too, following you. Please, please log on now to see what we tracked!
> They know you've traveled to Europe, they know all the places you went and how long you were in each one. How is that not useful?
But how is deriving those facts from 5 year old location data actually useful to them? AFAIK, they don't try to drive "engagement" by inducing nostalgia with push notifications [1]. I don't really see the use of old data like that for ad-targeting beyond a coarse "travels internationally"-type categories that don't really require keeping the data around.
[1] Remember when you were in Europe? Wasn't it fun? We were there too, following you. Please, please log on now to see what we tracked!
> I don't really see the use of old data like that for ad-targeting
Ad-targeting is not the only use Google has for data. Google's core view of the world is that useful signals can be extracted from data; the more data you gather, the more useful signal you can extract in the future, even if we don't currently know how to find it. In short, gather all the data, and apply machine learning to it until it produces useful (monetizable) results[1].
Maybe Google will find ways to use this data for advertising, or maybe it has an obvious use in some future project that we won't understand for decades. The point is that we don't currently know all of the uses for data, but Google is betting that those uses will eventually be discovered.
The longer the data exists and the larger the database becomes, it's value increases. Higher value means increases potential profit for a hacker. (or being sold in the future if financial stability fails)
The problem with letting Google have this data is the same bet that Google is making: we don't know all of the ways data can be used, but it's likely that many innovative uses will discovered in the future. Unfortunately, while Google is probably only considering the subset of uses that are useful for business, the full set of uses that will be discovered will inevitably contain uses that are very dangerous to some people. An obvious example is the recent attempt to determine sexual orientation from portraits[2]. Does data about where you went 5 years ago reveal something important about you when combined with the many other features Google knows about you in a big deep learning model?
[1] If the underlying assumptions are true and if it will necessarily produce useful (monetizable) results are open questions.
[2] https://osf.io/zn79k/
Ad-targeting is not the only use Google has for data. Google's core view of the world is that useful signals can be extracted from data; the more data you gather, the more useful signal you can extract in the future, even if we don't currently know how to find it. In short, gather all the data, and apply machine learning to it until it produces useful (monetizable) results[1].
Maybe Google will find ways to use this data for advertising, or maybe it has an obvious use in some future project that we won't understand for decades. The point is that we don't currently know all of the uses for data, but Google is betting that those uses will eventually be discovered.
The longer the data exists and the larger the database becomes, it's value increases. Higher value means increases potential profit for a hacker. (or being sold in the future if financial stability fails)
The problem with letting Google have this data is the same bet that Google is making: we don't know all of the ways data can be used, but it's likely that many innovative uses will discovered in the future. Unfortunately, while Google is probably only considering the subset of uses that are useful for business, the full set of uses that will be discovered will inevitably contain uses that are very dangerous to some people. An obvious example is the recent attempt to determine sexual orientation from portraits[2]. Does data about where you went 5 years ago reveal something important about you when combined with the many other features Google knows about you in a big deep learning model?
[1] If the underlying assumptions are true and if it will necessarily produce useful (monetizable) results are open questions.
[2] https://osf.io/zn79k/
> AFAIK, they don't try to drive "engagement" by inducing nostalgia with push notifications [1].
They definitely do this with Google Photos "revisit this day" stuff, but it seems just an engagement play than a direct monetization one.
They definitely do this with Google Photos "revisit this day" stuff, but it seems just an engagement play than a direct monetization one.
Did they go on a long distance vacation every year? They're probably a good target for travel ads. They're probably also in a higher income bracket then someone who's only going on local trips.
They know you're wealthy enough to travel to Europe. They know you might buy airplane tickets. They can show you ads for other international destinations.
If nothing else, they can sell ads against you for "Category: Travelled to X place within the last Y years".
If nothing else, they can sell ads against you for "Category: Travelled to X place within the last Y years".
Thought experiment: your phone could know you liked a particular tourist spot because you spent a lot of time there, and later on when you upload pictures from your DSLR to Google Photos, the system will notice that there are a lot of photos that are timestamped within the time range when you were at that tourist spot.
And data mining can tell that people who like that tourist spot A in country X also liked tourist spot B in city G in country Y a lot, so, tourism board of city G/country Y, here's a good target for your ad.
And not just tourist stuff. Data mining might even tell they like a particular brand of, I don't know, yoghurt, so let's sell some of that yoghurt!
And data mining can tell that people who like that tourist spot A in country X also liked tourist spot B in city G in country Y a lot, so, tourism board of city G/country Y, here's a good target for your ad.
And not just tourist stuff. Data mining might even tell they like a particular brand of, I don't know, yoghurt, so let's sell some of that yoghurt!
* travel suggestions for other places you might like
* ad targeting based on specific locations you've been to
Sounds useful enough to keep the data and there might be more uses in the future.
* ad targeting based on specific locations you've been to
Sounds useful enough to keep the data and there might be more uses in the future.
They probably even know what carrier you used for your flight based on transit time between airports.
Or just pull that information from the flight confirmation email that was sent to Gmail.
Correct - they'll know your entire itinerary (and whoever else you traveled with) because of your hotel booking confirmations, too. Same with whatever events you bought tickets to. :)
From gmail they also have keys to yor website SSL, as majority of SSL cert providers will send those to admin email (form of verification that someone access admin/webmaster account) on file as form of validation (altho there are other options like CNAME in some providers)
They might have a copy of the signed certificate that the CA sent you via e-mail, but they certainly should not have a copy of the private key that goes along with it (unless you did something stupid like let someone else generate the private key for you).
You can delete and stop further (official) data gathering here:
https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity
https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity
The deceptive word here being, "delete".
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I'm surprised just how empty that is for me. While I don't have an Android phone, I do use Google Maps on my computer and iPhone quite a lot. It's got nothing for me.
Maybe I turned something off ages ago and forgot?
Maybe I turned something off ages ago and forgot?
IIRC timeline/location history only generates from an Android device.
[deleted]
That's not correct. Google location history also works with Google Maps and "the Google app" on iOS.
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/4388034
>As of Google Maps version 3.2.1, you cannot turn on Location Reporting and History from the Google Maps app for iPhone and iPad. If you have Location History turned on from another Google app, like the Google app, the Google Maps app may still use Location History data stored in your Google account to give you better search results.
>As of Google Maps version 3.2.1, you cannot turn on Location Reporting and History from the Google Maps app for iPhone and iPad. If you have Location History turned on from another Google app, like the Google app, the Google Maps app may still use Location History data stored in your Google account to give you better search results.
The location data was initially part of Latitude https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Latitude, it went away for a while, appeared in the iOS Google Maps app, and then moved again to the google app.
I use it for time tracking, time spent at clients sites, etc. It's not perfect, but perfectly good 95% of the time!
I use it for time tracking, time spent at clients sites, etc. It's not perfect, but perfectly good 95% of the time!
You might be logged in on your iPhone with a different user than your browser. That's what happened to me. When I changed to the same login as my phone. They even know where I parked my car and for how long.
You can turn off location history for Google too. I did it years ago. The maps timeline link shows nothing for me.
You can flip a widget that claims to do something. How do you know it actually does what you think it does? For example, it might simply mean that you no longer have access to your location history - which your experience documented here implies. That does not mean that the data is no longer there or being added to.
Have you read the small print?
Nearly appropriate anecdote: For a customer, the SNMP "public" community has been deemed a security issue. The GUI for three of their systems showed that the SNMP agent was not configured, let alone running. $snmpwalk -v2c -c public w.x.y.z enterprises from my PC says otherwise.
Here we have a saying: "it does what it says on the tin" to imply a form of integrity (a quote from an advert, funnily enough.) Not all tins tell the complete truth.
Have you read the small print?
Nearly appropriate anecdote: For a customer, the SNMP "public" community has been deemed a security issue. The GUI for three of their systems showed that the SNMP agent was not configured, let alone running. $snmpwalk -v2c -c public w.x.y.z enterprises from my PC says otherwise.
Here we have a saying: "it does what it says on the tin" to imply a form of integrity (a quote from an advert, funnily enough.) Not all tins tell the complete truth.
While it's possible that Google may be keeping the data after you ask them to delete it, that would be a violation of the GDPR.
If they're an EU citizen. The fact that they posted in the middle of the night in the EU suggests that they may not be.
A question still remains for me: Are you just flipping a bit by turning it off, or are you not actually reporting data?
I'd be really interested in hearing an answer on this from Googlers. Does switching all these settings off actually affect what data Google collects and stores about you, or does it just mean they hide it from you on the activity page?
Considering that they look at IP addresses, it is a switch off for "GPS data"; not "location data".
Surprisingly the default setting for both Google and Facebook's location history is off for me, so I guess they haven't been collecting my location data after all?
I can't even figure how to turn it on in FB. Maybe you can only do so on mobile/App?
Facebook's actually says it's disabled? Mine was virtually empty (I refuse to install mobile apps beyond Maps/SMS/etc), but it doesn't indicate that it's disabled. I'd love to disable it fully...
As far as I can tell, there's no "disable" control on that page (only "Delete All Location Data") and there's no global toggle on my Account -> Privacy page.
Wow. I never cease to be amazed at how many hoops they make you jump through. NO, Facebook, I will not install your awful app just to disable Location tracking. https://i.imgur.com/sUR3FU5.png. Can't wait until they silently start scraping my browser's location and I have to know to login and delete that data regularly.
As far as I can tell, there's no "disable" control on that page (only "Delete All Location Data") and there's no global toggle on my Account -> Privacy page.
Wow. I never cease to be amazed at how many hoops they make you jump through. NO, Facebook, I will not install your awful app just to disable Location tracking. https://i.imgur.com/sUR3FU5.png. Can't wait until they silently start scraping my browser's location and I have to know to login and delete that data regularly.
I've already disabled location history yet Google Maps continuosly keeps asking to review nearby places and take photos even when I haven't used the app in a long time. So it clearly polls location once in a while just to ask those questions (and log everything of course), very irritating.
I know I can disable notifications but I'm not sure if it would disable polling in the background. I guess the only way is to keep location toggled off completely.
I know I can disable notifications but I'm not sure if it would disable polling in the background. I guess the only way is to keep location toggled off completely.
It might be using WiFi to determine your location. Logging each SSID and comparing them to a known database of businesses in the area where you live.
One of the many reasons I didn't like the mandatory FB app install on some Verizon android phones. You couldn't even delete it if you wanted to. Best case scenario was to never log in.
Ironically, I currently own a Pixel 2XL, have multiple google homes and chromecasts, use gmail, photos, etc., and let them run wild with my permissions.
I think for me Google has created an ecosystem that I get a lot of value out of. I can't tell you how many times my phone has automatically given me pertinent information about a trip, or when to leave for work, or how to route around an accident. There is so much value for me, that I'm willing to trade my personal info.
FB on the other hand just seems like a vampire most of the time. All I want to do is keep in touch with a few friends. It's even more egregious since I'm old enough to be in the first year cohort of FB rolling out, and have had to live with the ever increasing privacy intrusions.
Ironically, I currently own a Pixel 2XL, have multiple google homes and chromecasts, use gmail, photos, etc., and let them run wild with my permissions.
I think for me Google has created an ecosystem that I get a lot of value out of. I can't tell you how many times my phone has automatically given me pertinent information about a trip, or when to leave for work, or how to route around an accident. There is so much value for me, that I'm willing to trade my personal info.
FB on the other hand just seems like a vampire most of the time. All I want to do is keep in touch with a few friends. It's even more egregious since I'm old enough to be in the first year cohort of FB rolling out, and have had to live with the ever increasing privacy intrusions.
I asked for a full facebook data export, and this data wasn't in the bundle they gave me.
Just checked my facebook data export and the location_history folder just contains the file no-data.txt
My location history is also turned off on facebook.
Just another data point
My location history is also turned off on facebook.
Just another data point
This is pretty surprising seeing as how I have disallowed Facebook apps' permission to access my location.
I switched from the native Facebook app to the web app in 2014 -- which is the last location Facebook has on me. I guess this explains why deleting the app gave me double the battery life.
My experience too. If you absolutely must use Facebook, at least use the mobile site instead of the app.
I know from my past data exports on Android (pre-Cambridge Analytica) that my location history was pretty precise at all times. Same deal with Google Maps but I was aware of it so that's not really a complaint.
I tried looking for the location history feature on my iPhone and I honestly can't find it. Visiting the location history view just says my history is disabled and the web client doesn't seem to have that setting anywhere either apparently?
I don't even know why I have the thing installed in the first place. My timeline is complete garbage (people resharing bad memes) and I only use Messenger.
I tried looking for the location history feature on my iPhone and I honestly can't find it. Visiting the location history view just says my history is disabled and the web client doesn't seem to have that setting anywhere either apparently?
I don't even know why I have the thing installed in the first place. My timeline is complete garbage (people resharing bad memes) and I only use Messenger.
>I tried looking for the location history feature on my iPhone and I honestly can't find it.
It's always fun to look at the places your iPhone thinks you frequent:
>Settings >Privacy >Location Services >System Services > Significant Locations
I stop at a particular traffic light on the way to work most days, and the phone thinks I like to hang out at the pawn shop on the corner.
As far as anyone knows, all of this information is only known to the phone, and not to Apple. But it's still creepy to see how a little box in your pocket watches you day and night.
It's always fun to look at the places your iPhone thinks you frequent:
>Settings >Privacy >Location Services >System Services > Significant Locations
I stop at a particular traffic light on the way to work most days, and the phone thinks I like to hang out at the pawn shop on the corner.
As far as anyone knows, all of this information is only known to the phone, and not to Apple. But it's still creepy to see how a little box in your pocket watches you day and night.
The timeline thing is pretty easy to fix. You just have to tell Facebook you don't want to see posts like that (three dot menu). I did that a while back and don't get any memes or shared links on my feed anymore.
"Location History is off. Turning on Location History lets you explore what's around you, get more relevant ads, and help improve Facebook. It allows Facebook to build a history of precise locations received through your device. Your Location History is private and secure. You can manage it in your location settings at any time.
"
Yeah I don't think I'll be enabling it.
Yeah I don't think I'll be enabling it.
Deleting the FB mobile app, replacing it with Friendly+ (which scrapes the web app to provide a fairly equivalent experience, plus blocks ads and other stuff) was a great choice.
How does it have my location history? I don't have their app on my phone.
Maybe through FB Messenger?
Its frozen for me. Just keeps spinning the first 8th of the spin animation and glitching back to the start
For someone who has deleted their FB account, what is this?
Android user here. I won't make any claims about any permissions I've granted Facebook, but this link leads to a location view that shows my history with frequent updates each and every day from 2015 until this year, apparently every time I moved somewhere.
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I am appalled at the apparent ignorance/disbelief in so many comments from people who don't find it obvious that location history data from Google/FB is useful and profitable for them to have.
I am appalled at the apparent ignorance/disbelief in so many comments from people who don't find it obvious that location history data from Google/FB can be used to improve the user experience.
Can you give some examples? Normally I find that location data makes my user experience worse, for example assuming the language I speak based on the country, or redirecting me away from the url I was trying to go to.
It's not always individualistic. Facebook can determine where users travel to and when. There are more complex cohort analysis and segmentation that's being done but a lot of the data can help drive business strategy.
Here's one: If there is a delay on my commute, Google Maps alerts me about it well before I would usually leave so I can leave earlier to account for it (or decide to work from home).
I agree and hope you didn't think I was disagreeing with this angle on things. It really is a double-edged sword in that respect.