from Hacker News

Google Maps Dark Pattern: Enable Web Activity to Set a Home Address

by lenomad on 3/4/19, 3:40 PM with 15 comments

  • by dTal on 3/4/19, 4:20 PM

    To me the biggest Google Maps dark pattern is "no GPS for you unless you consent to share your location with us at all times". It was this that persuaded me to excise Google apps from my phone forever. It drove me crazy seeing the little satellite icon, and the network connection, permanently active. No feature is worth your corporate ankle bracelet, thank you very much.

  • by Akinato on 3/4/19, 4:25 PM

    Yup. I turned off web activity and my home/work checkpoints disappeared. I always thought that was incredibly scummy and it's what made me really start questioning the amount of power I was giving Google, if this is how they're using it. I've been slowly separating myself from their ecosystem. Another example is how Google doesn't let you turn off the stupid notifications for Google Assistant / Voice without completely blocking microphone access to Google.

    It's hard not to be hypocritical about all of this as well. I want to protect my data, but I also want to play Pokemon Go, which is essentially gameified tracking. My phone already recording my location info and it would be an insignificant amount of effort to see where I sleep at night.

    I feel constantly torn between my desire for privacy and my need to stay connected in the digital world. As another example, I tried to quit Facebook and was successful until a D&D group I joined required it's use. It's also one of the only good online barter/marketplaces since craigslist started having major issues with scammers, bots, and constant flags.

    Essentially, I dislike how good, useful services require the use of other unscrupulous ones. I have zero clue about any solutions for this one, though.

    Edit: Other user was right, I'm not "broadcasting" GPS lol, sorry. It's early.

  • by bluetidepro on 3/4/19, 4:22 PM

    This isn't a thing on iOS. Can someone explain more what "Web & App Activity" means on Android? I don't have an Android device so I don't fully get what permission that is asking? Is it a common one other apps need? Like maybe it's a case of bad specific permissions and they have to ask for that even though they wish they didn't have to do something that generic? I know I've seen that before for like Github apps, for example. They don't have fine grain permissions, so you have to ask for more than you need a lot of times.

  • by mnm1 on 3/4/19, 4:44 PM

    Yup. Switched to Waze partly because of this. I'm sure they collect the data regardless and Waze is still owned by Google but at least in theory, it should not collect data. Without laws against it, what's to stop Google from collecting the data whether or not you agree to it? Nothing.

  • by Marsymars on 3/4/19, 4:12 PM

    Yes, they made this change some years back. (2013, maybe?)

    Used to work just fine. Still works fine for driving mode on the Android app for some reason.

    So I've just been typing out a location close to my home address for the past five years.

  • by Spivak on 3/4/19, 4:17 PM

    Workaround on Android: create a navigation shortcut called 'Home'.

  • by luag on 3/4/19, 4:15 PM

    You also cant label your saved places without it.

  • by maxxxxx on 3/4/19, 4:16 PM

    This is pretty sleazy and almost impossible to defend.