If you have a Pixel 6, 7, or 8 series device, you might start seeing the new Google Weather app as an update in the Play Store.
Google’s Pixel 9 launched with a cool new standalone weather app that can summarize outdoor conditions using AI. As reported by 9to5Google
https://9to5google.com/2024/10/30/pixel-weather-rolling-out/
@ecksmc Weather apps are one of the main ways that the platforms gather data about your location, for sale to data brokers.
https://www.howtogeek.com/884233/your-weather-app-is-spying-on-you-heres-what-to-do/
#privacy
@ecksmc Just make sure that the app can access location services only when it's running. Also, turn off precise location. The app doesn't give you weather at the granularity of your mailbox, so don't let it have that data.
@peterquirk yeah ik and don't allow background data to be used as well as force closing it after using it
Data brokers buy your data from apps/services you use they don't necessarily get your data direct from your device - then they link all data via device IDs and other unique *things* that ID us to that data like advertising IDs that you can opt-out from via google account settings - By using a random MAC address, you can reduce the risk of being tracked or targeted by location-based advertising campaigns or data brokers.
Ik the Stock clock app doesn't need location permission so the widget won't use location
@ecksmc Android doesn't provide any way of telling what data is transmitted and to whom by the weather widgets that people place on the home screen. I don't even know if the time widget reports my location to a data broker.