Location data is uniquely sensitive because it reveals everything about you: where you sleep (home), where you work, where you worship, what medical facilities you visit, who you spend time with. A single week of location data tells a stranger more about your life than most friends know.
Data brokers buy location data from apps and resell it. Law enforcement buys it from brokers, sometimes without warrants. Advertisers use it to build behavioral profiles. In 2023, a Catholic newsletter used commercial location data to out a priest's visits to gay bars. This is real.
Audit your apps right now: Settings u2192 Privacy u2192 Location Services (iOS) or Settings u2192 Location (Android). Go through every app. Ask yourself: does this app actually need my location to function?
Change most apps to 'Never' or 'Ask Next Time.' Maps and navigation: 'While Using.' Weather: 'While Using.' Delivery apps: 'While Using' only when ordering. Social media: 'Never.' Games: 'Never.' Shopping apps: 'Never.'
When apps ask for 'precise location' versus 'approximate location,' choose approximate unless precision is genuinely needed (navigation). And disable 'Share My Location' features in apps that aren't actively being used for that — many leave it on by default.