What Data Do Map Apps Collect On You? [Infographic]


“In 500 feet, turn right.” We all know that familiar navigation voice guiding us to our next destination, but what if we also heard things like “In two hours, pick your children up from school” or “You missed your workout three times this week. Head to the gym on your way home.” As much as we love the convenience of our smartphones and apps, where do we draw the line for them knowing our personal data?

You may be surprised to learn that Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps know much more about you than you originally thought. To help identify the data that these apps collect, The Zebra created a visual on what these apps know about you and what they do with that data. 

Map applications most likely know:

  • Where you live
  • Places you visit
  • How long you’ve stay at those places
  • Your typical travel patterns

Still not worried? Although your data is made anonymous, you will still start to see targeted advertisements tailored to your interests. However, that could be viewed as a good thing if you’d prefer to see ads for products and brands you’re interested in rather than those that don’t interest you at all.

However, sometimes when companies like insurance agencies purchase your data, they could base your premiums and rates off of the data they collect on you.

For example, car insurance companies take typical metrics like your age, driving history and location into account. Shop around and do research on multiple companies to make sure you get the best deal for things that may be affected by your personal data collection. 

Taking this extra step and turning off your location sharing can help you reduce your digital footprint. Data and privacy are becoming more complicated to protect, but staying in the know is the best way to be prepared. 

Please include attribution to www.thezebra.com with this graphic.

map-apps-personal-data-infographic

Featured Photo by Samuel Foster on Unsplash


Kossi

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