You might not know it, but Apple and Google are keeping an eye on your every move. Yes, right now. Wait, they saw that, stop, keep still.
Like Jurassic World's Indominus Rex, they've been watching without you knowing, with both companies using the geo-location data from your respective iOS and Android-powered smartphones to keep tabs on you.
Not only can they see where you've been - from the streets you've walked down to the shops and restaurants you've frequented - they can also monitor how long you've been there, and even the photos you shot while on location. Creepy, right?
If, like us, you're not too keen on two of the world's biggest companies snooping on your every move, there are measures you can take to avoid the sinister world of 24-hour surveillance.
How to stop Google tracking your every move
Google recently launched 'Your Timeline', a desktop and Android service that lets you relive all of your minute-by-minute steps that it's been recording over the years - as if that somehow makes its super sleuthing more acceptable.
If you're over the location-based nostalgia and ready to rip out your tracking implants, just follow the below steps:
- Visit Google Your Timeline - www.google.co.uk/maps/timeline
- Select the 'Settings' icon from the bottom right corner
- Click 'Pause Location Data'
- Select 'Pause'
Although this will stop Google from collecting your future location-based data, it will not prevent the company delving back into your old habits. To completely clear your spied-on history, you need to:
- Return to the 'Settings' menu in Google Timeline
- Select 'Delete all Location History'
- Check the box 'I understand and want to delete all Location History'
- Click 'DELETE LOCATION HISTORY'
You can also cut the cord of social tracking directly from your Android device.
- Open the App drawer
- Find and select the 'Location' option
- Under 'Google Location Settings' find 'Location History'
- Deselect Location Reporting and select 'Delete Location History'
- You will need to do this for each individual Google account you've registered
It should be noted than turning off these services will limit the functionality of some mobile services - such as Google Maps and Search.
How to stop Apple spying on you
While Google's recent Timeline launch might have brought location-based tracking to people's attentions, it's not the only manufacturer that's been keeping an eye on you for some time now.
Apple has long been criticised for watching your daily habits, but it makes it surprisingly easy to cut the cord - assuming you know where to look, that is.
On your iPhone or iPad simply:
- Select the 'Privacy' tab from the 'Settings' app
- Choose the 'Location Services' sub-menu
- Toggle the 'Location Services' tab to off to cull all future location tracking or pick and choose which individual apps can access your data from the list
Sadly there is no easy way to remove all previously collected location data from your Apple account.
What's more, again culling location-tracking on your iOS device will limit your app options. Before running in gung-ho in a bid to reclaim your privacy, look at the apps you most frequently use - even the likes of Citymapper and Uber need to watch where you are to offer full functionality.