From Beans to Boundaries - Understanding Your Geolocation Data and Protecting Your Privacy

Understanding Geoinformation: Who is Collecting It, Where It’s Stored, and How to Protect Your Privacy

Geoinformation is everywhere. From smartphones like the Apple iPhone 14 Pro, which can pinpoint your location with an accuracy radius of about 5 meters under ideal conditions, to websites that request your coordinates for "enhanced experiences," the capture and use of geolocation data have become woven into our daily lives. Some advanced systems can even approximate your elevation if the device’s pressure sensors or associated networks allow it. However, it is less common for general consumer-facing websites to track building-level elevation. Typically, the location they obtain does not detail which floor of a building you are on unless you use specialized indoor positioning technology.

We often allow our browsers, apps, and devices to know where we are without questioning who collects this information, how long it is kept, and what it is actually used for. In this blog, we will explore how geoinformation is gathered, stored, and utilized, as well as offer best practices to safeguard your privacy. We will also consider the future implications, especially as AI-driven services rise and as physical presence or location authenticity may become a marker distinguishing real humans from synthetic AI agents.

How Geoinformation is Collected and Stored

• Device Sensors and Permissions
  Most modern smartphones, tablets, and even some laptops come equipped with GPS receivers, GLONASS, Galileo, or BeiDou navigation systems, as well as other location services like Wi-Fi positioning or cell tower triangulation. For example, Apple and Google utilize Wi-Fi network signals combined with GPS data to refine location estimates. When you grant an app permission to access "Location Services," you allow it to collect and record your location at intervals that can range from continuous tracking to periodic updates every few minutes.
  On iPhones, if you run Google Maps, the location data may be sent to Google’s servers. Google claims this data is used to improve mapping accuracy and user experiences. The information travels to Google’s global server infrastructure, often located in data centres worldwide. Similarly, Apple Maps data is handled by Apple’s servers. Both companies have stated privacy policies, but the complexity often leaves users uncertain about the details.

• Browser-Based Location Requests
  When using a desktop browser, you might see a pop-up asking for your location. If you allow it, the browser can estimate your location using IP address-based geolocation and nearby Wi-Fi networks. IP-based geolocation is not as precise as GPS but can often locate you to a region, city, or neighbourhood level. Some browsers might leverage known Wi-Fi hotspot databases. If a browser knows that a specific Wi-Fi network is at a particular address, it can pinpoint your location more accurately. The resulting data can be stored by the website you visit or by third-party analytics platforms like Google Analytics or Mixpanel for various insights and targeting.

• Platform and Service Providers
  Companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft frequently collect location data to improve maps, weather updates, local search results, and more. They may share this data with advertisers, partner companies, or use it to train AI models that anticipate user needs or refine service delivery. While official statements say this data is anonymized and used to enhance user experiences, it also forms part of their commercial ecosystem. For CA, our approach would differ. We aim to prioritize user privacy and trust. Instead of selling location data to advertisers, we would use location information simply to enrich your coffee discovery experience, guiding you to nearby cafés and roasters without hidden profit motives based on your whereabouts (we know this is a bold statement, but we are striving to achieve it!).

Who is Involved and Why They Care

• Tech Giants and Advertisers
  Large corporations gather geolocation data to refine user experiences and serve more relevant ads. For example, knowing you often visit a particular café might prompt an offer for a coffee discount. While the official story is about delivering better content, it also boosts their ad revenue. At CA, we would avoid these profit-driven pitfalls by not selling user location data or allowing relationship-based bias to creep into our platform. Our reputational advantage lies in impartiality - we do not allow advertisers to influence what coffee destinations we show you.

• Data Brokers and Analytics Firms
  Third-party entities may buy and sell aggregated geolocation data, creating user profiles that advertisers or other businesses purchase. Even if anonymized, these profiles can sometimes be re-identified. This is a significant privacy threat. CA aims to stay clear of such practices.

• Government and Law Enforcement
  Governments or law enforcement agencies may request location data for investigations. While sometimes legitimate, this access can also raise privacy concerns if misused. This highlights the importance of choosing platforms that respect user data and comply with privacy laws while maintaining transparency.

How Long is the Data Kept?

Retention policies vary widely:

• Some companies store data indefinitely because it supports ongoing business models like targeted advertising and user behaviour analysis. For example, data could be used to profile users over years, enabling long-term trend insights.
• Others claim to discard or anonymize information after a set period, say 12 or 18 months. But without independent audits, it is hard to verify if they truly delete or simply mask the data. This doubt puts users at risk because "anonymized" data can sometimes be reassembled into identifiable profiles.
• Certain regulations like the EU’s GDPR push organizations to limit data retention. Yet, a lack of global uniform standards means data could linger longer than expected. High-profile breaches, like certain large-scale location data exposures by major carriers or app developers, show that stored data can become a liability if not handled responsibly.

Location Data in Photos and Videos

Your photos and videos often contain EXIF metadata, which can include GPS coordinates of where they were taken. This can inadvertently reveal your home address or favourite hangouts if shared publicly.

• How to Remove Geotags:
  On iOS or Android devices, turn off geotagging in the camera settings. Desktop tools like ExifTool or websites can strip EXIF data from your images before uploading or emailing them. By removing location tags, you prevent recipients or online strangers from knowing where you shot that vacation photo.

Best Practices to Protect Your Geolocation Privacy

1. Review Permissions
   Regularly check app location permissions and disable them where unnecessary.

2. Use Built-In Tools
   On your phone, turn off precise location for apps that do not need it or disable geotagging in the camera settings.

3. Browser Settings
   Be selective when a site requests your location. If unsure, deny or limit its access.

4. Use a VPN
   A Virtual Private Network can mask your IP address, making it harder for websites to pinpoint your exact position.

5. Educate Yourself on Policies
   Understand the privacy policies of the services you use. Choose platforms known for strong privacy practices.

Future Considerations: AI, Physical Presence, and Authenticity

As AI advances, one intriguing aspect emerges: AI agents lack physical mobility. They do not wander through cities or physically check into cafés. They exist in data centres, processing streams of data. This discrepancy - humans can move and generate authentic location footprints, whereas AI cannot - might become a future hallmark of authenticity.

• Opportunity: Human reviewers or influencers could prove their actual presence at a café, thus establishing trust and authenticity in a world flooded with AI-generated content.
• Risk: New forms of location spoofing may arise, with sophisticated methods to fake geotags. Secure hardware solutions, blockchain verification of location data, or tamper-proof logs may become necessary to ensure that a claimed location is genuine.

As AI grows more powerful, distinguishing between authentic human-generated content and AI outputs will be crucial. Geolocation may become a tool to reaffirm humanity - a quality that pure AI lacks.

Conclusion

Geoinformation is a powerful asset, enriching digital experiences with convenience and context. Yet, it also raises serious questions about privacy, data retention, and transparency. By understanding who collects location data, how it’s stored, and how it’s used or misused, we can make informed decisions about sharing our whereabouts.

Simple steps like disabling unnecessary permissions or stripping EXIF data from images significantly reduce privacy risks. As AI evolves and physical presence becomes a measure of authenticity, proactive approaches to location privacy will matter even more.

Ultimately, in a future teeming with intelligent agents and relentless data collectors, being informed and vigilant about geoinformation ensures we retain control over our digital footprints.