It is my understanding that Google Location services asks before storing this data. My fear is that by writing blanket untrue statements like this, people that don't know better just read it as fact, and spread it.
Disclaimer: Work at Google (in a different space), but everything I write here is my own opinions/views.
You are right! "people that don't know better" should do their own research on whether Google Location services ask for their permission.
Here are few links:
"Google records your location even when you tell it not to" https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/aug/13/google-lo...
"Google Collected Data on Schoolchildren Without Permission" https://www.wired.com/2015/12/google-collected-data-on-schoo...
"More than 1,000 Android apps harvest data even after you deny permissions" https://www.cnet.com/news/more-than-1000-android-apps-harves...
"Thousands of Android apps can track your phone — even if you deny permissions" https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/8/20686514/android-covert-ch...
"The study also singles out photo app Shutterfly for sending actual GPS coordinates back to its servers without getting permission to track locations — by harvesting that data from your photos’ EXIF metadata — though the company denied that it gathers that data without permission in a statement to CNET."
Which is much more nuanced. Some would even consider it as a bug since it is coming from a side-channel. Also the article mentions that a lot of these things are being fixed with newer versions of Android (Q in this case).
However, by just quoting click-baity headlines, it gives the false impression that these products are purposely built to intrude on privacy.
“Normals” in no way understand they are consenting to this, and further, your employer continues to tighten the noose on users who did understand and turned it off, that products will no longer work without this data.
To be clear, Google has the right to demand location data as payment for services rendered.
Sure, just let them be clear about it. By clear, I don't mean they mention it in the last line of the 29th page.
I like the GDPR approach where you cannot force someone to pay with their privacy. If you want to demand payment, you can demand money.
It certainly does not. In fact, the general prompts are just along the lines of "Maps won't work unless Location Services is on. Turn it on? [Y/N]"