When you’re deciding which apps to download next, some Apple experts have a suggestion: avoid those that take unnecessary steps to track your location so that they can profit off of you via third-party advertisers.
While it’s true that avoiding apps that take this liberty is becoming increasingly difficult, it’s worth keeping aware of which apps are being sneaky about it so that you can make a more informed decision. Whether you choose to avoid downloading these apps altogether, or just vow to change your settings and permissions and keep on top of them, here are four apps that track your location.
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Games
Not all games, but some games — and some games are even using sneaky tactics to keep tracking you after you set your permissions to tell them not to do so.
According to Reddit users, one company called Sybo that makes the game “Subway Surfers” sent them this line in an email, basically telling them they’re going to track them no matter what: ““In order for the game to function properly, some data is communicated to Ad Networks.”
No data should need to be communicated to Ad Networks for you to get the pleasure of killing an imaginary game character or jumping over a turnstile with your skateboard.
Facebook
The Facebook app is tracking SO much — including your location, your contacts, call logs, camera, microphone, and website activities. The only true way to keep it from tracking you is to delete it and use the browser version instead.
Weather Apps
If the weather app that comes pre-installed on your iPhone isn’t providing the kind of advanced features you want, be cautious about downloading other weather apps because most of them track your location. Of course, they get around this because they have to track your location to do their jobs properly and provide weather conditions in your area, but they could also be taking advantage of this by selling your location data to advertisers.
Any New App, Really
The sad reality is that you can’t always tell which apps are going to track your location and get up to no good behind your back. The best steps you can take before downloading new apps is to read reviews, pay attention to the types of permission requests they are asking you to grant them, and use a VPN so that your online activities and your location are encrypted.
