What is geolocation? Explaining how geolocation data works
Summary
Geolocation technology identifies physical locations of devices and individuals based on information such as geographic coordinates and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Geolocation data is typically collected by various entities, including internet service providers, mobile app developers, governments, law enforcement and advertisers. The raw data is transmitted to the central server or cloud infrastructure that operates a geolocation app or service through different communications protocols, such as GPS or cell networks. Using this raw data, the device determines its location by measuring its distance from multiple cell towers, Wi-Fi access points or satellites. Many people dont consider the collection of macro information on the country, state or even city theyre located in as raising privacy issues.