Apple's Find My app now allows users to share lost item locations via a secure link, even with airlines. The iOS 18.2 update expands tracking beyond the Apple ecosystem.
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Apple is rumored to be working on the second-generation AirTag and if all goes well, the item tracker could bring improved location tracking and the item tracker may be launched in 2025.
The FCC has fined major U.S. wireless carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, nearly $200 million for illegally sharing customers' location data without consent despite knowing.
A letter by Senator Ron Wyden sheds light on the illegal buying of sensitive American user data by the National Security Agency of the U.S. It also exposes the data broker industry.
Google will be rolling out new controls over the next few weeks that will allow you to automatically remove your location and activity data from your account after a set period of time.
Snapchat is experimenting with a new feature called Status that will allow you to check in to a certain place and let your friends know what you're up to. It's currently being tested in Australia.
Facebook has updated its location-sharing control on Android, allowing users to choose to not share their location with the company when the app is not in use. This option is already available on iOS.
Microsoft and TomTom have expanded their partnership. Azure will now be TomTom's cloud provider, while the Dutch company's location-based services such as traffic data will be used by Microsoft.
DuckDuckGo will now be displaying location information from Apple Maps on its search results as part of a new partnership with Apple. The new capability is available both on mobile and desktop.
The big four wireless carriers in the U.S. have pledged to stop selling their customers' location information to two data aggregators, LocationSmart and Zumigo Inc., amid privacy concerns.
AccuWeather has found itself in an awkward situation, after collecting user-identifiable data from iOS users that could be used to track them, despite revoking location access in its mobile app.
In conjunction with HERE, TomTom, and Esri, Microsoft plans to create a new 'world graph' which will provide a wide range of location-oriented capabilities to help quantify the physical world.
Researchers discovered a number of smart home devices that leaked user data, including Nest's learning thermostat and a security camera that broadcasted completely non-encrypted video streams.