Google maps location history and privacy

[eHaw]

There has been a lot of buzz in the IT community regarding Google Maps location history being kept by Google despite privacy settings requesting that it not be saved.

It's not clear that Tesla owners even have access to privacy settings for our vehicles.

So I'm wondering if anyone has information on the subject.

 

[Mo City]

Good question.

Hate to admit this but I just discovered (by accident) Google Timeline last week. Blew my mind. Google knows everywhere I've been in the world (and when). Creepy.

 

[Eno Deb]

According to the privacy policy navigation data is anonymized:

"We also may collect similar data in connection with other features, such as the navigation data for the online routing feature, and may share it with business partners where necessary to provide the feature to you, but, again, we only collect or share the data in a way that does not identify you or your car."

But it's probably very easy to de-anonymize the data (because it's likely to frequently contain your home and/or work locations).

Generally, I'd also like Tesla to be more transparent about their data retention policies. They can potentially collect loads of sensitive personal information ranging from location data over listening habits to information such as contacts and calendars that you share with the vehicle. Ideally I would like them be voluntarily compliant to the EU GDPR regulation even in the US (e.g. giving the owner full transparency about what data is being collected, and allowing them to have the data erased).

 

[diamond.g]

There has been a lot of buzz in the IT community regarding Google Maps location history being kept by Google despite privacy settings requesting that it not be saved.

It's not clear that Tesla owners even have access to privacy settings for our vehicles.

So I'm wondering if anyone has information on the subject.

I believe the data sharing screen is all we have right now. I do not think Tesla currently has a way to show us all the data they have on us.

 

[eHaw]

According to the privacy policy navigation data is anonymized:

"We also may collect similar data in connection with other features, such as the navigation data for the online routing feature, and may share it with business partners where necessary to provide the feature to you, but, again, we only collect or share the data in a way that does not identify you or your car."

But it's probably very easy to de-anonymize the data (because it's likely to frequently contain your home and/or work locations).

Generally, I'd also like Tesla to be more transparent about their data retention policies. They can potentially collect loads of sensitive personal information ranging from location data over listening habits to information such as contacts and calendars that you share with the vehicle. Ideally I would like them be voluntarily compliant to the EU GDPR regulation even in the US (e.g. giving the owner full transparency about what data is being collected, and allowing them to have the data erased).

I would imagine they have to follow GDPR in Europe, nice to have it here too.

And thank you for reading the privacy policy!

 

[e-FTW]

That is the reason why:

• I never set “Home” and “Work” locations
• I have a favorite that is set for a zip code near my home, and I use that
• I have never synced contacts or calendar

Good point on GDPR.

 

[Canuck]

That is the reason why:

• I never set “Home” and “Work” locations
• I have a favorite that is set for a zip code near my home, and I use that
• I have never synced contacts or calendar

Good point on GDPR.

Isn't that like cutting off your nose to spite your face?

I'm all for privacy, but I use Home and Work locations all the time in Nav and I never even thought life would be better if Google or Tesla thought I lived at my neighbour's home. Plus, not letting the car access my contacts and calendar? Not a chance since I use that all the time. I really like when get in the car in the morning and my appt and the address pop up for Nav or I can use my voice to call contacts. Google and Tesla can know everything about me in my phone for that convenience. It's not like I have anything to hide anyway. I weigh my privacy against benefits and so far the benefit have won out. Still I get your concern, and the tech companies infringe far too much on our privacy rights, but I don't see the solution as not using what is offered as any incentive for them to change.

 

[compu85]

Tesla and Google have my home address anyway. They could probably figure out my work address from my LinkedIn profile.

I agree there's too much collection / mining of my personal data, however I personally don't see those addresses as very sensitive.

-J

 

[Knightshade]

Tesla and Google have my home address anyway.

So does everyone else if you own the home since your name would be on the property records

And if someone gets all your nav data they could just see where you traveled to/from every day, even if it's not "named" home or work.

 

[Twiglett]

So does everyone else if you own the home since your name would be on the property records

And if someone gets all your nav data they could just see where you traveled to/from every day, even if it's not "named" home or work.

Exactly
Your home address, property value, property taxes etc. are all public record anyway.

 

[Stellavator]

You have to be signed in to your google account for it to be tracked and applied to you. I don't stay signed in to google, and even though I use google search, email, and maps, ther is nothing on my google timeline.

 

[chronopc]

Try searching for yourself with this website.

100% Free Genealogy - FamilyTreeNow.com

 

[Eno Deb]

Exactly
Your home address, property value, property taxes etc. are all public record anyway.

The point I was trying to make above is that the home address can be used by whatever 3rd party providers Tesla uses to de-anonymize the location data they share (it's a simple matter of correlating the most frequently used location they see in the shared data with public records or other address databases to figure out who the user is). This would negate Tesla's approach of anonymizing the data before sharing it with 3rd parties.

 

[Canuck]

You have to be signed in to your google account for it to be tracked and applied to you. I don't stay signed in to google, and even though I use google search, email, and maps, ther is nothing on my google timeline.

How do you sign into Google in Tesla's Google maps that are tracking us? It seems to me there's no signing in or out, unless I'm missing something.

 

[Tezlanian]

Keep in mind that is there is no such thing as "anonymizing" location data. We are creatures of habit and are identified by this alone. Only Tesla can answer the OP's question as once it hits their servers we have no way of knowing what happens.

 

[xyeahtony]

That is the reason why:

• I never set “Home” and “Work” locations
• I have a favorite that is set for a zip code near my home, and I use that
• I have never synced contacts or calendar

Good point on GDPR.

Good for you. Personally i like seeing the name of the person that is calling me pop up on the screen so i know if i should accept it or not. And i do like being able to easily navigate to all my appointments in my calendar instead of manually typing in the address when i sync my calendar.

But of course, to each their own.

Isn't that like cutting off your nose to spite your face?

yes it is

 

[Tezlanian]

That is the reason why:

• I never set “Home” and “Work” locations
• I have a favorite that is set for a zip code near my home, and I use that
• I have never synced contacts or calendar

Good point on GDPR.

Setting home and work locations will be irrelevant as those can be deduced easily. Note where you park and charge actually becomes a "destination charger" for you on your screen Not syncing calendar and contacts is a good move though I doubt Tesla uploads these.

 

[e-FTW]

Good for you. Personally i like seeing the name of the person that is calling me pop up on the screen so i know if i should accept it or not. And i do like being able to easily navigate to all my appointments in my calendar instead of manually typing in the address when i sync my calendar.

But of course, to each their own.




yes it is

Nope, my iPhone is perfectly fine doing all of those things and more.

 

[timk225]

On my 3's screen, I'd like to clear the list of every place I have put into google maps / gps. How do I do that?

 

[timk225]

Isn't that like cutting off your nose to spite your face?

I'm all for privacy, but I use Home and Work locations all the time in Nav and I never even thought life would be better if Google or Tesla thought I lived at my neighbour's home.

My Home location isn't my home, it is a gas station down the road a little ways. I can find my way home from there.

I have an old Garmin GPS unit from 2009 that was never updated or tied to my name, I would use it and an old car with no electronic stuff in it if I wanted to go somewhere a little more stealthily.