Other GPS on indicator showing unexpectedly!

[agraham]

Recently I have been puzzled by the GPS indicator showing unexpectedly in the notification area on my Android 10 Mi Max3. I've just noticed that my Android 8 Galaxy has started doing the same thing. The culprit appears to be the Google app (whatever that does - because it says 'Google' I avoid it like the plague and have never run it). Removing the Location permission from this app seems to restore the expected GPS indicator behavior.

<rant>As far As I know I have never given this app any such permission on either device. I've found the same permission enabled on my Android 8 Jelly Pro. As this behaviour is recent I assume it came with one of the updates. I hate this kind of underhand behaviour and my utter disgust and loathing of Google has stepped up yet another notch.</rant>

 

[JohnC]

This might be part of the covid contact tracing api that google and apple recently pushed out to their phones that tracks people's location and the Bluetooth MAC's your phone "sees" during a day. This way, if a person was tested positive, it's much easier to see who else (other mac's) came in contact with that person.

It is suppose to be "Opt-in", but you know google