The photos that are synchronized with the cloud include location data, but only if the mobile camera app is configured like this (it usually asks for permission on first opening). Google Photos managed to get the location in all cases by dint of spying on location history, something it will no longer do. A notice will appear in all apps.
Every time you take a photo with your phone you have the option of adding the exact location where you took the image thanks to EXIF data, some metadata associated with each photographic file. If you turned on location, and then synced the camera roll with Google Photos, the cloud will record the places as part of the image data. If the metadata was not associated, Google estimated it with the location history of Android; process that ceases to exist.
Location is now completely optional
Notice from Google Photos to allow or not the estimated location
By default, each Android with Google apps records the places where the owner of the phone passes in the location history, a list that can be consulted from the Google account. This location history can be deactivated, although it does not stop recording the location: Google has already been caught recording such private data without the user’s knowledge.
The aforementioned location history, which can be viewed through the “Google Maps Timeline”, is also used in Google Photos: the cloud uses this user information to assign an estimated location to each image that does not have EXIF location data associated with it. With the recent change, Google abandons the use of said information, as specified by the company on its support page.
With the abandonment of the location history to estimate the shooting places of each image, Google Photos will lose that information as long as the user does not configure the camera app on their mobile to save the location. Although yes, Google reserves an ace up its sleeve: its AI.
Current appearance of location registration in Google Photos
As of today, December 7, Google Photos will show a notice so that the user of the platform consent to the estimation of locations based on image analysis. Google’s AI can figure out where each photo was taken by checking the buildings that appear in the image, any text that may be left in the background, and other elements; a process that is optional: it will be the user of Google Photos who accepts this intelligent spying on their content.
If you didn’t turn on location in the camera app, and you deny Google Photos permission to analyze your images, they won’t have locations in your backup
The consent notice will appear in all Google Photos apps. In case you reject it, Google won’t store locations of those photos that are synced without the included location tag.
More information | Google
Via | Android World
