Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Issues Consumer Tips on Mobile Location Tracking as Part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month

SAN FRANCISCO - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today released guidance on location privacy on smartphones, tablets, and email as part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, a campaign to promote a safer, more secure, and more trusted Internet.

The Attorney General’s new information sheet, Location, Location, Location: Tips on Controlling Mobile Tracking, comes at a time when nearly two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone. In fact, it’s been reported that the average consumer is never more than three feet away from his or her phone.[1]

Connected devices are convenient, but they also pose unique privacy challenges. Our smartphones and tablets are “always on” and “always on us,” broadcasting where we are, where we have been, and even where we are going. This is a concern for many of us, and for domestic violence and stalking victims, it can be dangerous.

Location, Location, Location explains how to use system settings on Android and iOS devices to manage GPS and other location tracking functions.  The new information sheet also explains how email location tracking works and offers step-by–step instructions for stopping it in Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail.

Location, Location, Location can be found with Getting Smart About Smartphones, Breach Help, and a library of easy-to-read privacy materials on the Attorney General’s website at www.oag.ca.gov/privacy/info-sheets. 

Resources

Location, Location, Location: Tips on Controlling Mobile Tracking: https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/privacy/cis-18.pdf?

Getting Smart About Smartphones: Tips for Consumers 

English: www.oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/privacy/smartphones_consumers.pdf

Spanish: www.oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/privacy/CIS_15a_smartphonesConsumer_sp.pdf

Getting Smart About Smartphones: Tips for Parents

English: www.oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/privacy/smartphones_parents.pdf

Spanish: www.oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/privacy/CIS_15b_smartphonesParents_sp.pdf

National Cyber Security Awareness Month: www.staysafeonline.org/ncsam/

[1] www.getelastic.com/the-end-of-bricks-and-mortar-retail-as-we-know-it/