Since early 2017, Google has been collecting location data from all modern Android devices, according to a report from Quartz. The company did not limit its collection of data to devices with Location Services enabled, instead opting to collect data from any device that connected to the internet, even if Location Service were disabled and the device did not have a carrier SIM card.
Google began collecting the addresses of nearby cellular towers from users devices in early 2017 after a change to Firebase Cloud Messaging service. Firebase, owned by Google, runs by default on Android devices. Firebase Cloud Messaging allows third-party app developers to send notifications and messages to devices running both Android and iOS.
While the address of a singular cellular tower can provide a general location, the ability to triangulate data from multiple towers can provide much more in-depth location data. While the data collected for devices in rural and suburban areas may only provide a location within a quarter of a mile, the high density of cellular towers in urban areas can provide much more detailed information.
This isn’t the first time Google’s privacy policy has raised concerns. Although Google’s privacy policy states it may collect location through multiple means, including the location of nearby cellular towers. The privacy policy does not, however, state that this data will be collected even when Location Services are turned off and the device does not have or use a carrier SIM. Privacy advocates believe Google’s data collection extends far beyond a reasonable expectation of privacy and could be potentially dangerous for law enforcement officers, domestic violence victims, and others who wish to keep their location information private.
The report comes after U.S. lawmakers blasted internet companies like Google on its increasingly invasive data collection practices. While data collection can be useful for certain tasks, internet companies are increasingly collecting very personal information including voting histories, location data, and purchasing histories. This data can then be used to create extremely targeted marketing and advertisers for users.
When contacted by Quartz, a Google spokesperson stated the data collected through Firebase was “distinctly separate from Location Services, which provides a device’s location to apps.” While Location Services can be disabled on Android devices, Google did not give users an option to opt-out of the collection of data from cellular towers.
In an email to Quartz, Google stated the data was used to “further improve the speed and performance of message delivery” and that the data was “never incorporated in our network sync stem, so that data was immediately discarded.” In the same email, Google announced it discontinued its collection of cellular location data from Android devices.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.
Apple's first foldable phone is now on shelves, in short supply, but with an unreal amount of buzz around it. After all, it's the first foldable iPhone, and there's plenty that this phone gets right. But there's also a lot that is either broken or underwhelming. What's peculiar is the dialogue around this phone, and how it has completely overshadowed every other attempt at making a phone with a similar form factor.
I've spent some time with the iPhone Duo, and I've used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for almost three months now. In my opinion, Samsung deserves more credit. When the Galaxy Z Fold 8 arrived earlier this year, it was celebrated in some circles and ridiculed in others for supposedly copying what Apple would eventually deliver with the iPhone Duo. The dialogue was pretty odd, for multiple reasons. Samsung has been making foldable phones for years, so claiming that it copied a product Apple hadn't even launched was simply absurd.