Google Is Tracking Your Phone Without Consent—Here’s How to Protect Yourself

If you’ve been following Google Chrome’s privacy changes, you’ve probably heard that there will soon be a global prompt to say “No” to tracking cookies. However, a new study indicates that Android users are being surreptitiously tracked in a way that they can’t opt out of, as researchers at Trinity College Dublin claim that Google begins tracking your phone as soon as you turn it on—long before you even open an app. How? Through cookies, unique identifiers, and other hidden data stored by default apps that come pre-installed on Android devices. Moreover, there is no way to fully opt out, so even if you’re not using Google apps like the Play Store or Play Services, they’re still collecting and storing data in the background.

Why This Is a Big Deal–

Given the recent controversy around Google’s SafetyCore—a photo-scanning security feature that was surreptitiously pushed to almost all Android devices without users’ knowledge—the timing of this story is intriguing. Research is now supporting the long-held concern of privacy activists that Google’s default apps may be storing data even when they have never been used.

What’s worse? The researchers claim that this type of tracking cannot be totally prevented, in contrast to SafetyCore, which can at least be stopped. What’s your best option? Even changing your app permissions and frequently resetting your Advertising ID won’t completely stop the tracking.

Tracking That Starts Even Before You Pick Up Your Phone–

According to the study, Google’s pre-installed apps save your Android ID, a unique identifier that remains on your device, along with cookies that track ad views and clicks. These cookies aren’t connected to any particular service you’ve chosen to use, and they remain even after a factory reset.

One of the study’s researchers, Professor Doug Leith, provides a concise explanation of the issue:

“We all know that our consent is needed before a website stores advertising and tracking cookies. But cookies stored by apps have received far less attention, partly because they’re harder to detect. A closer look at them is long overdue.”

This research was released a few days after Google quietly brought reinstated device fingerprinting, a contentious surveillance technique that it banned in 2019. Google admitted at the time that fingerprinting was unfair as users had no control over how their data was gathered or a way to remove it. The business has now changed its earlier position, allowing this kind of tracking to proceed.

What Can You Do About It?

Unfortunately, unless you completely change to a different operating system, you are unable to completely disable Google’s tracking on Android. You can, however, take the following actions to limit the amount of data that is collected:

Regularly reset your Advertising ID (located in the Android settings).
Review your app’s permissions and turn off any that pertain to tracking.
Utilize privacy-focused apps and private browsing when using the internet.
Consider alternatives to Google’s built-in apps, such as the Aurora Store or F-Droid.

The lack of transparency is the true problem here, not just the fact that Google is tracking users. Trust is damaged when big tech businesses implement methods for tracking without providing options for clear disclosure or consent.

As Android users, users should to have the ability to manage the data and usage of our data, whether it be within apps, on Chrome, or at the operating system level. Users should demand greater responsibility from Google, and this study serves as a wake-up call for the company to be more transparent about what goes on behind the scenes.

It is difficult to ignore the lack of control in this situation, and therefore it is difficult to distinguish it from previous concerns. The issues should be checked evenly. Google’s decision to reintroduce fingerprints is defended by a new technology called “privacy-preserving,” which is said to control the device. Understanding that should not be restricted remains important.

The Trinity Study examines the complexity of data law and regulatory frameworks. The report reveals that it is “technical study, not a legal one,” and that researchers are “not legally qualified,” but he raises great concerns about Google’s data storage practices. This study suggests that the treatment of Google user data may be inconsistent with the EU-E-Privat directive, possibly because GDPR is being implemented because research was being conducted in Ireland that governs this regulation.

The report explains that the e-Privacy directive, often referred to as the “cookie law,” recognizes that users and the data stored there are part of a private domain and require legal protection. These guidelines prohibit access to unauthorized memory or data on users’ devices without clear consent. The only exception applies when data storage is essential for communication transmission or for services that are explicitly requested.

Google explained these results as follows: “This report highlights a number of Google technologies and tools that support the services we provide to users. The researcher acknowledges their lack of legal expertise, and we do not agree with their legal conclusions. User privacy is a top priority for Android, and we remain committed to complying with all relevant privacy laws and regulations.”

This is not the first time Trinity and Leith have looked into Google data practices.

In 2022, they reported that Google messages and Dialer transmitted call and news metadata (including call times, duration and phone numbers) were forwarded to Google servers. Similarly, a 2021 survey showed that Google was collecting almost 20 telemetry data from Android devices compared to Apple’s data collection from iOS. Their findings were even more concerned that both operating systems continued to broadcast telemetry data despite explicitly excluded by users.

Leith’s latest research highlights that Google Play Services and the Google Play Store have increased on almost all Android devices – Secksam ads and cookie persecution without seeking user consent. Google was notified of these results prior to publication, but did not contain any errors or incorrect information. However, they also declined to comment on potential changes to data storage practices.

If reviews of the tracking mechanism are enhanced, this latest report reveals hidden data collection that occurs across a wide range of devices and platforms. Transparency is more important than ever, but the latest trends show a shift in the wrong direction. Progress has been achieved with better protection of data protection, but these results are interpreted, particularly in regards to Google’s practices.