Google Maps recently added a new function called Your Timeline into its service. The new feature allows users to retrace their previous locations they have travelled to including the exact time that they were there.
Google Maps product manager Gerard Sanz posted on a blog, "Your Timeline is private and visible only to you; and you control the locations you choose to keep. This means you can easily delete a day or your full history at any time."
While Sanz's statement is reassuring to some people, the new feature was not well received by many especially those who are concerned about their privacy. The new feature means that Google has complete access to people's whereabouts at a certain time which, in theory, can be used for unconsented surveillance.
For privacy concerned individuals there is a way to disable the feature, according to The Independent. Users have the option to Pause Location History in their Google settings. By pausing the feature, Google Maps will stop collecting information from the user's device.
Additionally, users also have the option to completely delete all their timeline information by simply selecting the Delete all Location History option on the Settings menu. However, Google said that by deleting or pausing the feature, this might limit some functionality that relies on the information from the user's timeline.
According to Komando, Google has already started rolling out the Your Timeline features to users. The feature is available to devices running on the Android 5.0 Lollipop or higher platform and all iOS devices.