Modern technology has a lot of advantages, but there are also certain
caveats. For instance, our cell phones allow us to access all kinds of
information anywhere, but having that cell phone as a constant companion
also means you're easier to track wherever you go.
Sadly, it
turns out that Google has been doing exactly that - using your
smartphone to track your movements. The company has a program which uses
red dots to mark your location on a map, as well as everywhere you've
been. This makes it pretty easy to trace your movements.
Don't believe it? See for yourself. Just log into the same Google account you use on your smartphone and follow this link (https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/0).
You can view records of all the places you've been (with your phone, at
least) for the past month or so. Most unstintingly, it seems that this
information is being collected and stored by Google regardless of your
privacy settings.
Luckily, there is a way to minimize the amount of tracking using the steps below.
How to disable Google's tracking feature and erase your previous history
To
see if your location history is enabled on your account, go to Google
Maps Location History page and click the gear icon to pull up your
History settings. Here, you can enable or disable the service, although
disabling it does not erase previously recorded history.
In order
to erase the locations that Google Maps has stored for the past 30 days,
you need to go to the Location History page again. The default time
period is usually set to the current day, so you'll need to use a
pull-down menu to show your history for up to 30 days. From here, you'll
see an option to delete your history, either for the time period you've
chosen or all of it.
Be sure to SHARE this information with your family and friends.
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