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Question about how many data points a single app can collect
I was reading the privacy policy for a weather app on my phone last night and it said it collects my 'coarse location' even when the app is closed. I found a tech blog that said that can mean tracking your city or neighborhood 24/7. How is that even legal for just a basic forecast?
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hannahw301mo ago
They need that data for accurate local forecasts.
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the_sam29d ago
Isn't that the same excuse every company uses to justify collecting way more data than they actually need?
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Hannahw30 has a point about needing location for forecasts, but that's only half the story. They don't need to track your neighborhood all day and night just to tell you if it will rain. That "coarse location" data is a goldmine for selling to ad companies who want to know where people live and work. A basic forecast could just use your zip code once. The constant tracking is for their profit, not your weather report. It's legal because the rules are way behind the tech.
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