Google Maps Timeline

[rosecott]

Last week I received an email from Google telling me "here's your monthly update". It then goes on to tell me I'm receiving it because I turned on Location History - something I don't remember doing. I thought I'll have a look and see what it's all about. I have to say I was flabbergasted when it showed, on Google Maps, exactly the routes and stopping places I had used on the only 3 occasions I had gone out in the car in the last few weeks.

I do know this kind of information can now be easily gathered but I still felt a bit uneasy. Does anyone else have this feeling?

 

[KenL]

Google is just one of the companies tracking your life. I feel very uncomfortable with this aspect of modern life.

 

[North Mimms]

My brother posted his Maps Time line for all of April on Facebook.
"You have visited 1 place"

 

[Orikoru]

Why would that worry you? What have you been up to?

Just looked at my timeline for April. Home and Tesco Extra.

 

[North Mimms]

I looked at mine.
Google Maps doesn't seem to know about the public footpaths around here so it looks like I spent quite a bit of April standing in the middle of large fields.

 

[rosecott]

I'm really looking forward to an exciting trip tomorrow, recorded for posterity on Google Maps - home - golf club - LIDL - home. I'm all aquiver.

 

[rosecott]

Why would that worry you? What have you been up to?

Just looked at my timeline for April. Home and Tesco Extra.

Uneasy, not worried.

 

[backwoodsman]

This tracking is commonplace and is collected by all the big internet service providers - and most people are somewhat blase about it. And yet there's a fuss about whether the NHS should collect similar data. Strange.

 

[MegaSteve]

Not owning/using a 'smart' device has it's upsides... I can go as I please without the feeling of big brother watching over my shoulder...

 

[brendy]

I really dont care that a company knows how far round the world I've been or that I went out to the shops for milk and bread on Saturday. I've used google maps to find my way round so many places, I find it a very useful tool and am 100% certain I have gotten more out of them than the reverse.
I'm not the prime minister, a spy nor terrorist type so really, why would I be worried? I am an individual, throw me into a pool of a billion of google users and I'm even less noticeable, what's the issue really? Plus you can turn location services off.

It really highlights the difference this year though. Last year from March to May I'd been to Dublin, Paris (transit through CDG tho!),Dubai, New Dehli ,Maharashtra, Shanghai, Wuxi, Boston, NewYork, Cleveland,London, Edinburgh amongst some others, same period this year, I've ventured 4 miles.

 

[Rooter]

I normally like my monthly google email! normally about 5-6 countries, some cool cities, visits over the UK, this month.... Newbury. Yay!

 

[brendy]

I normally like my monthly google email! normally about 5-6 countries, some cool cities, visits over the UK, this month.... Newbury. Yay!

Phwoarrrrrr, sunny Bangor Co. Down for us.