The Dangers of Location Tracking: Protecting Your Privacy from Data Brokers and More

Location tracking has become a major concern for online privacy, with a multi-billion dollar industry built around selling our precise location data to data brokers. This data can reveal sensitive information about our medical care, religious practices, family activities, and more. The consequences of this data falling into the wrong hands can be severe, from targeted advertisements to stalking and even worse.

Many state privacy laws now classify precise geolocation data as “sensitive personal information” and require explicit consent before collection. However, loopholes in these laws and the ease with which third parties can access our data raise serious concerns about our privacy rights.

To protect ourselves from data brokers, it is important to be cautious about authorizing location sharing on our devices and to review the permissions granted to third-party apps. Apple also offers tools like Private Relay to enhance privacy protection.

Ultimately, the responsibility lies with companies to ensure they are transparent about how they handle our data. By being vigilant about our privacy settings and demanding accountability from the companies we interact with, we can take steps to safeguard our location data from exploitation.