![]() Even though the perpetrators wore masks and used gloves to cover their tracks, the police were able to apprehend four suspects. And while the evidence did not exactly bust the case open, it led to other useful leads and clues.Īnother example is the Eden Prairie home invasion that happened in October 2018. In 2018, authorities sought information from Google on a murder that occurred in 2016. Detectives added that it is most useful in cold cases that are still open and without valid leads. Government agencies who used geofence warrants said that Sensorvault showed promise in finding suspects and witnesses. He added that Google only submits identifying information when it’s “ legally required.” Richard Salgado, Google’s director of law enforcement and information security, said that the company tries its best to protect user privacy, while also supporting the law. Once they narrow it down to the most relevant devices, Google reveals their identities and other info. Then, detectives search for movements and patterns that are connected to the crime. But before handing it over to law enforcement agencies, Google labels the devices with anonymous ID numbers. It collects the data about the devices that were present during that time and place. ![]() The company resorts to its massive database, Sensorvault. During an investigation, authorities send Google a warrant in which they specify a geographic area and a period of time and ask for any relevant information. Sensorvault features detailed location records of hundreds of millions of devices worldwide, dating back nearly a decade. Geofence warrants, however, allow government agencies to use Sensorvault as a suspect and witness suggester. Google and other similar companies have been providing the authorities with data for years. The country is part of the Five-Eyes alliance, a cooperation between several nations in data and intelligence exchange. You see, tech companies in the US are obliged to hand in user information when they receive warrants and court orders. The whole thing was kept secret until The New York Times blew the lid on it. And the authorities can access that information thanks to “geofence” warrants. The company stores your location history on Sensorvault, a massive database with hundreds of millions of records. You may find such a feat useful when you open Google Maps as it’s the only way it can navigate you to your destination.īut other than that, why should the tech giant record your whereabouts? Well, that’s not even half the problem. It does so using several ways, like through location history, web and app activity, and device-level location services. It’s no secret that Google tracks you no matter where you go, even without your permission. Are There More Databases Like Sensorvault?.How to Check Your Data and Delete It From Location History.However, there are several steps you can take to minimize location tracing and protect your online privacy. Now, that’s taking privacy intrusion to a whole new level, and Google has no choice but to comply with government demands. That means your data could be monitored as part of an investigation simply because you were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Google stores hundreds of millions of location records on a database named Sensorvault, and it shares them with law enforcement agencies upon request. And that information isn’t only for Google’s eyes. The tech company knows your exact location at all times, even if location tracking or GPS is disabled. Remember when you first started going out with your friends, and your mom would call or text you every few minutes to check your whereabouts? It turns out Google is doing the same thing, except without your permission or your mom’s genuine concerns over your safety. Do other companies have similar databases?.Why Google collects this data and how to delete it.
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