Facebook admits to tracking user location even when option is turned off

Facebook has revealed that in cases where the user has turned off his location services, the location-related information can still be tracked, thanks to the associated IP address.

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Facebook has revealed that in cases where the user has turned off his location services, the location-related information can still be tracked, thanks to the associated IP address.

Facebook has admitted that it tracks the whereabouts of its users even when they have turned off their tracking services. Responding to a letter by US Senators Josh Hawley and Christopher A Coons, Facebook in a reply said that the location data is used for various purposes such as showing ads to News Feed and Safety Check. Hawley put out a copy of the letter on Twitter.

Facebook has revealed that in cases where the user has turned off his location services, the location-related information can still be tracked, thanks to the associated IP address. It added that in such cases, rough location information is derived from IP address or other network information for that person.

However, the company has admitted that this type of data can be inaccurate sometimes. “For instance, an IP address assigned to a mobile device by a wireless carrier might reflect only the city or area where the device connected to the network, while a computer located on a company’s corporate network may have an IP address associated with that business’ offices. For this reason, IP addresses are generally considered to be imprecise ways of understanding location and can be inaccurate,” the letter read.

But it said that a more granular location could theoretically be determined from IP address in exceptions where it is needed to protect the safety of its users or to counter attacks.

“.@Facebook admits it. Turn off “location services” and they’ll STILL track your location to make money (by sending you ads). There is no opting out. No control over your personal information. That’s Big Tech. And that’s why Congress needs to take action,” Hawley said in a tweet.

Hawley and Coons wrote a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg dated November 19, 2019, regarding the privacy practices of the company concerning user location information. The US Senators asked Facebook a set of seven questions including if the company collects any information about a user’s location if the user has turned off or limited Locations Services for the app.

.@Facebook admits it. Turn off “location services” and they’ll STILL track your location to make money (by sending you ads). There is no opting out. No control over your personal information. That’s Big Tech. And that’s why Congress needs to take action https://t.co/R1LuLcP1LP

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 17, 2019

Facebook is under fire for the way it handles the privacy of its users, especially after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Zuckerberg has faced questioning by the US and EU lawmakers over how the personal data of 87 million Facebook users were used without consent for political advertising in the 2016 US Presidential elections. Facebook recently faced criticism for its ad policy of letting politicians lie in advertisements.

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