Google Collects Android Location Data Even When Location Service Is Disabled

Do you own an Android smartphone?

If yes, then you are one of those billions of users whose smartphone is secretly gathering location data and sending it back to Google.

Google has been caught collecting location data on every Android device owner since the beginning of this year (that's for the past 11 months)—even when location services are entirely disabled, according to an investigation conducted by Quartz.
This location-sharing practice doesn't want your Android smartphone to use any app, or turn on location services, or even have a SIM card inserted.

"We use various technologies to determine location, including IP address, GPS, and other sensors that may, for example, provide Google with information on nearby devices, Wi-Fi access points, and cell towers."
Moreover, this location-sharing practice is not limited to any particular Android phone model or manufacturer, as the tech giant was apparently collecting cell tower data from all modern Android devices before being contacted by Quartz.

source- https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/android-location-tracking.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHackersNews+%28The+Hackers+News+-+Security+Blog%29