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   Revealed: X knows where you are, but YouTube doesnt care   
      
   Date:   
   Mon, 25 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   VPN company Surfshark has looked into the location data requirements for the   
   top social media apps. Its findings reveal that Elon Musks X really likes to   
   know where you are at all times, and a VPN cant necessarily help you.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   Think youve got your privacy covered? It could be time to give that a    
   rethink, especially if youre a regular user of X and other social media apps.    
      
   A study from leading VPN provider Surfshark has analyzed the default location   
   permissions required by the top 10 social media apps in the Apple App Store   
   and found that most of them are very data-hungry  if not stalker-y.    
      
   Elon Musks X and Mark Zuckerbergs Instagram, Threads, and Facebook especially   
   know a lot about where you are even if youre using one of the best VPN apps.   
      
   Why do social media want your location data?    
      
   Your smartphone records two types of location data: precise and coarse.    
      
   Coarse data is a zoomed-out, low-resolution option that shares your general   
   location in the world. The precise option relies on GPS, Bluetooth, and even   
   IP addresses to determine your exact location based on nearby networks. It is   
   the latter data that X and other networks are using, to varying degrees.    
      
   As Surfshark Chief Technology Officer, Donatas Budvytis, explains, precise   
   location data falls under the most sensitive user data category because it    
   can be linked to highly personal behavior and routines.    
      
   "This all can lead to building your profile, predicting behavior, or can be   
   used for targeted manipulation and discrimination," said Budvytis.   
      
   Location data might be helpful at times. For example, it adds some useful   
   context to photos (and helps you find a specific image years later). It can   
   also help you locate interesting sights and businesses nearby. Social   
   networks, however, seem to be enjoying just a little bit too much of it.    
      
   Surfshark has discovered that while eight popular social networks collect   
   precise location data, X is especially keen on it. Instagram, Threads, and   
   Facebook all need a lot, as does Pinterest. Snapchat needs less; LinkedIn and   
   YouTube require almost none.    
      
   Collecting user information in this way allows social networks to offer   
   advertisers a better reach, ensuring targeted ads based on your location.    
   They might even send you marketing outreach messages using this sort of data.    
      
   According to researchers, X and Pinterest may even use location data to track   
   users. There is no clarity as to how this information is used or whether it    
   is available to data brokers. In such a scenario, various information from   
   other apps could be used in tandem to establish more specific and valuable   
   data about your actions and interests.   
      
   Cant you just use a VPN?   
      
   VPNs are great for specific privacy uses, but when it comes to location data   
   collected using GPS and other networks, a VPN is less effective.    
      
   Because the VPN encrypts your internet access and routes it via a secure VPN   
   server , only your IP address can be obfuscated. Social networks that rely on   
   GPS and proximity to other networks  perhaps railway stations, or city centre   
   networks  can overlook the notion that your IP address is set to Berlin if   
   your GPS says London.    
      
   While a VPN is definitely recommended for public Wi-Fi , its only going to   
   prevent bad actors with access to the network. Elon Musk and co can still   
   record your location.   
      
   So, can you stop X from tracking you?    
      
   All social media apps have settings that you can use to tweak what    
   information is collected. So, while you might be okay sharing photos and   
   (potentially embarrassing) thoughts and opinions, you can at least control   
   some of these privacy options.    
      
   In the case of X, you can open Settings > Privacy and safety > Location   
   information and disable all three options (tap the third, Explore settings,    
   to toggle it off) to reduce the social networks hunger for your activities.    
      
   Other apps should have similar options. You can, of course, also disable your   
   phones GPS when it isnt required, and review your phones location services   
   settings.   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/revealed-x-knows-where-you-   
   are-but-youtube-doesnt-care   
      
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