How to lay low online

So, the web browser on your computer, iPad, iPhone, Android or any other device is prompting you to ‘use your location’ but you’re hesitant and don’t know what to do.

We’ve all been there: when a website of any sort asks you for your location and gives no explanation as to how this very personal data will be used.

In some cases, websites are ‘location-aware’, like an online shop, meaning visitors can be asked for their general geographical positions, so the website can serve more relevant results and point you in the direction of their nearest location.

By agreeing to share your location with the website, the browser (for example, Google Chrome) is able to collect your device’s IP address and data from nearby Wi-Fi hot spots (IP is Internet Protocol: the method in which data is sent from your computer to the internet). The browser then sends these details to a provider, such as Google Location Services, which can analyse and pinpoint your spot on the map. The browser then shares your location with the site that originally requested it.

If this is a privacy issue for you, as it is for many others, and you want to protect your information, it’s vital to click ‘decline’ when a website asks to share your location’.

Further, if you’re sick and tired of being pestered by different sites, it is important to learn how to turn off your location settings for your browser type. Find out how by using the links provided below.

 

Have you ever been pestered by location notifications? Tell us what your experience was like below.

Related articles:
Online privacy rights
Facebook photo concerns
Gmail’s game-changing tool

YourLifeChoices Writers
YourLifeChoices Writershttp://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/
YourLifeChoices' team of writers specialise in content that helps Australian over-50s make better decisions about wealth, health, travel and life. It's all in the name. For 22 years, we've been helping older Australians live their best lives.
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