Khaberni - The famous Google Maps application has become a fundamental tool for millions of users around the world for navigation and learning about routes and service locations.
However, technology experts warn that the application may collect more data about users than many realize, especially if its default settings are left unmodified.
Specialists confirm that some privacy options in the application can allow tracking the user's location and storing their geographic activity for extended periods, which raises concerns related to digital privacy.
Here are 5 settings that experts recommend reviewing immediately to limit data tracking and improve control over personal information.
Turn off Location History
Location History is one of the prominent features used by the application to store places visited by the user over time, and this feature creates what is known as a timeline that displays the user's movements day by day.
Although it is useful in recalling trips and locations, it also means that the application retains a detailed record of your movements, hence experts recommend turning off this feature if it is not needed.
Web and App Activity
Even if Location History is turned off, some Google services may continue to log data related to location under a setting called Web & App Activity. This setting allows the saving of searches and activities within applications, and may also include geographic location information, thus disabling it helps reduce the amount of data collected about the user.
Restrict location permissions
In many phones, map applications are granted access to the location all the time, but privacy experts recommend changing this permission to the option only while using the application. This step prevents the application from tracking your location in the background when it is not open.
Incognito Mode
The application also offers an Incognito Mode option that allows using the maps without saving searches or places visited in the user's account, and this option is useful for those who want to use the application without adding data to their activity log.
Notification Settings
The application relies on location data and daily habits to offer suggestions such as nearby places or predicted routes, but some users prefer to reduce these recommendations to avoid collecting more data, and this can be done by turning off some notifications or location-related suggestions.
It should be noted that despite concerns related to privacy, experts point out that data collection helps the application to provide accurate services such as predicting traffic or suggesting suitable places for the user. Nevertheless, the final decision remains in the hands of the user to determine the level of data they wish to share, by adjusting the available settings within the application to suit their needs and interest in protecting their digital privacy.
