Your Smartphone Location Data is Being Sold – This is Not Safe

Most of us are not aware but sadly, this is exactly what is happening and
someone thinks this is normal.

Smartphone apps are tracking you and selling your location data, an invasion of
privacy that is happening without many users knowing about it.

User privacy has become one of the major issues in the digital age, but is
there really a way to protect yourself?

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal Smartphone location data is
being sold and traded, often without a user’s knowledge.

This means that whenever you authorize an app to access your location, there
is a risk that data will be shared with agencies for use in location-aware
advertising.

Users should know that every time they allow an app to track their location,
they may also be allowing that app to sell their location data. The information
is purchased by advertisers and used for initiatives such as
“location-aware advertising,” which serves ads to users depending on
where they are. The location data is considered very valuable by marketers, as
$16 billion were spent on location-targeted ads last year – which amounts to
about 40% of all mobile ad spending.

What is The Way Out?

The only way out is to deactivate location services. Sadly, this is easier
said than done. Some of the world’s most popular apps will not work without
being able to track the user’s locations.

In addition, turning off location services may not protect you completely,
as carriers can still track where you are through the cell towers that you are
connected to and a smartphone’s MAC address can still be picked up by open
Wi-Fi hotspots.

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19 thoughts on “Your Smartphone Location Data is Being Sold – This is Not Safe”

  1. Well as for me I have never turned on my location service on mah phone, if not xender dats demanding it when ever I'm receiving a file but after that I put it off ASAP… My privacy matters alot #smiles. Thank Prof for throwing more light on location service

  2. And one more thing. I usually turn off location services/gps on my phone but it seems to turn itself back on automatically. Its consuming my battery. Pls help me if u can

  3. Hmm, couldn't agree with you more prof. Nowadays there's no way xender app on android will work without putting on location service first. So they've been selling us out all along.

  4. Just turned off Location Sharing for all the apps on my phone. any app that need access will be reviewed before I give permission. Hmmm

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