For Google maps your location will be required

[C.G.]

As the title says from now on you will have to have your location monitored if you want to use Google maps:

https://mspoweruser.com/from-tomorrow-google-maps-will-limit-navigation-features-if-you-dont-agree-to-share-your-live-location-data/

[Robotron2k84]

What’s a Google? Is that like a gulag with a new coat of paint?

[C.G.]

How did you know? That was to remain a secret.

[AreWeFree]

First of all, the link you posted is trash clickbait, why are you browsing that website, it looks worse than CNN? They just reposted an article from another untrustworthy source, "9to5google" aka "9to5mac."
How many factless bot derived articles do you want to read?

Second, who cares, general directions are just fine. Roads don't change too much.

Third, I don't believe it since they always know your location anyways. You can turn on/off GPS as you please, supposedly, so enable it and use the app then disable when you aren't.

Fourth, get some paper maps and plan your trips. It's a lot more fun looking things up ahead of time and planning a trip, more or less knowing where you're going, the terrain and what you'll be doing.

Google maps sucks, they barely give you 1 instruction at a time at the last moment.

[Marauder2003]

If you have an active cellphone someone always knows where you are. Not to GPS accuracy but maybe 100’s of feet.

[Dutch3]

G**gle never knows my correct location anyway. It thinks I am somewhere between Roseville and Truckee, but I live nowhere near there.

It is actually pretty annoying. Every time I pull up a website for a retailer, it autofills my 'local store' as one 80-100 miles away. I always have to manually select my local store if I am trying to check stock on something.

[MrFancyPants]

Well if you use GPS or have a phone with GPS, you're already being tracked. That's kinda how GPS works.

[the86d]

You think the GPS on your phone doesn't use your location for anything... ?

How else will it know where you are and where to turn?

[C.G.]

First of all, the link you posted is trash clickbait, why are you browsing that website, it looks worse than CNN? They just reposted an article from another untrustworthy source, "9to5google" aka "9to5mac."
How many factless bot derived articles do you want to read?

Second, who cares, general directions are just fine. Roads don't change too much.

Third, I don't believe it since they always know your location anyways. You can turn on/off GPS as you please, supposedly, so enable it and use the app then disable when you aren't.

Fourth, get some paper maps and plan your trips. It's a lot more fun looking things up ahead of time and planning a trip, more or less knowing where you're going, the terrain and what you'll be doing.

Google maps sucks, they barely give you 1 instruction at a time at the last moment.

OK, so you don't care, maybe some people do. I don't, because I don't use Google maps, but tried to give heads up to people that might and you flame me. Thanks for the kindergarten lesson, though, but I believe I can still visit and read any website I want if I live in the US. And I am not sure how MSPoweruser, a Windows operating system site, can be as bad as CNN as they are relatively not political, perhaps you did not click on it or read the article, please expand.

[Creampuff]

I don't get it. In order to use google maps on your phone while driving hasn't that always been the case, that you have to turn on location finder?

[C.G.]

Well if you use GPS or have a phone with GPS, you're already being tracked. That's kinda how GPS works.

A GPS unit itself is not tracked unless it is a tracking GPS unit, as it is a receiver rather than a transceiver (a tracking GPS unit is a transceiver). In the case of a mobile unit it usually transmits over a cellular network. So only if you have a transceiver you are being tracked, if the unit is set to transmit.

The point of me posting the link is that Google states if you agree with the tracking your information may be visible to others. It may have been done in the past but now if you agree you don't have much of recourse as to your data being made available to anyone.

[C.G.]

I don't get it. In order to use google maps on your phone while driving hasn't that always been the case, that you have to turn on location finder?

Now you are agreeing to share all data with others, or in their words, make data visible to others. I guess not all have read the article.

[arrix]

Just be sure to turn off Location history so Google can't track you (in theory).

[AreWeFree]

OK, so you don't care, maybe some people do. I don't, because I don't use Google maps, but tried to give heads up to people that might and you flame me. Thanks for the kindergarten lesson, though, but I believe I can still visit and read any website I want if I live in the US. And I am not sure how MSPoweruser, a Windows operating system site, can be as bad as CNN as they are relatively not political, perhaps you did not click on it or read the article, please expand.

Sorry, I didn't mean any hostilities or negativity towards you.

I was bothered by the clickbait website that is possibly written by AI bots, and is the same owners and same type of content as other websites. It's all marketing BS junk. I did read your link and it was not well written or accurate, so I put them in the CNN category of BS antagonistic garbage.

Then I was trying to say who cares if the directions aren't meter accurate, you'll still get there with the "rough directions."
Be a tar pirate and decide your own course, get your bearing and make your own way. You'll get to where you want to be.

[Scratch705]

can't find any reputable tech sites or consumer privacy sites covering this.

so i'm gonna say, i don't believe the website that OP linked.