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So Google is now preventing people from removing location data from photos taken with Pixel phones. (mediacdn.aus.social)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by ajsadauskas@aus.social to c/technology@lemmy.ml
90 comments fedilink hide all child comments

So Google is now preventing people from removing location data from photos taken with Pixel phones.

Remember when Google's corporate motto was "don't be evil?"

Obviously, accurate location data on photos is more useful to a data mining operation like Google.

From Google: "Important: You can only update or remove estimated locations. If the location of a photo or video was automatically added by your camera, you can't edit or remove the location."

It's enshitification in action.

Source: https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6153599?hl=en&sjid=8103501961576262529-AP

#technology #tech @technology #business #enshitification #Android #Google @pluralistic #infosec

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[-] YurkshireLad@mastodon.social 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic My previous phone was a Pixel 2. My new phone is an iPhone as I've had enough of Google. Not that Apple is perfect. It's all levels of evil really.

[-] analogfusion@mastodon.art 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic That is really evil. I have a Pixel 4a, but I'm running GrapheneOS for security.

[-] efi@chitter.xyz 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic do we have start lawyering for exif data to be owned by the author???

[-] mxk@hachyderm.io 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic when using stock pixel android, Google does not need the location from Fotos to have your location data.
On the other side, Google is actually building pretty cool things still under NDA to prevent location data to leak to other apps
.
If you don't trust Google, don't use Android with Google services. It always has been that simple.

[-] tenet@defcon.social 1 points 2 years ago

@mxk @ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic Stop apologizing for the shitty behavior of fucking billionaires. They are not your friend. They do not care about you. They don't know you exist.

"Just don't use it!" is the cry of ever braindead fanboy out there.

Do better.

[-] mxk@hachyderm.io 1 points 2 years ago

@tenet @ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic well, there are trust models.
Its a simple question if your trust model includes google or if it does not.
Talking about "friends" is silly here, it's not about that.

[-] tenet@defcon.social 1 points 2 years ago

@mxk @ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic

"I'm going to excuse all of these companies being shitty because you should just not use them. Don't bother advocating for better behavior, your opinion means nothing and you should just not use it."

I'm reviving cool story, bro for this one.

Cool story, bro.

[-] mxk@hachyderm.io 1 points 2 years ago

@tenet @ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic it's capitalism.
If you expect companies to be nice, you are doing something wrong.

[-] tenet@defcon.social 1 points 2 years ago

@mxk @ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic

"Accept that things are shitty. Do not attempt to improve them. Suck capitalist dick and drink the gravy. You are a product. Comply."

Fuck right off with that bullshit. If you can't be bothered to lift a fucking finger to unfuck this world, why are you even speaking in public?

[-] mxk@hachyderm.io 1 points 2 years ago

@tenet @ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic change the system, change the incentive structures, do what you want, but sorting companies in good and evil is just a distraction

[-] tenet@defcon.social 1 points 2 years ago

@mxk @ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic Do you even have a fucking clue what the subject was?

Eh... don't bother replying.

[-] morpheo@kolektiva.social 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas
can you use a different photo app?
@technology @pluralistic

[-] morpheo@kolektiva.social 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas
...and would it make any difference?
@technology @pluralistic

[-] prashmohan@discuss.systems 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic I have no personal knowledge of the matter, but it reminds me of the quote - "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence"

[-] hgrsd@hachyderm.io 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic

Better make sure you turn off location data and location estimates in your settings before it's too late.

Google Photos > Settings > Location > Location Sources

[-] rickf@indieweb.social 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic @amyegan Insanity.

[-] stufromoz@aus.social 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic @reselsnark if you want to remove location data from photos, open them in the standard paint on a windows computer and save. It kills a lot of metadata

[-] CannotSleep420@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 2 years ago

For anyone interested in the image text @OCRBot@lemmygrad.ml

[-] OCRBot@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 2 years ago

URL image textEdit or remove an estimated location from a photo Important: You can only update or remove estimated locations. If the location of a photo or video was automatically added by your camera, you can't edit or remove the location.

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open Google Photos 3&.
  2. Open the photo or video.
  3. Tap More : > Edit /. • Add or select a location from your recent locations. • To remove the estimated location, tap Remove location.

This action was performed by a bot.

[-] nickapos@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

I usually edit my photos in gimp.

[-] b_cavello@mastodon.publicinterest.town 1 points 2 years ago

@technology @ajsadauskas @pluralistic image description:
Google instructions on how to edit or remove an estimated location from a photo reading
“Important: You can only update or remove estimated locations. If the location of a photo or video was automatically added by your camera, you can't edit or remove the location.”

[-] agarbathi@squeet.me 1 points 2 years ago

@pluralistic @ajsadauskas that's why I would never use a Google Phone.

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this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2023
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