- A new Surfshark study found that over 50% of the top 15 mobile browsers collect user location data.
- Microsoft Edge, Aloha, Yandex, and Phoenix collect precise location data, with Edge and Aloha openly sharing it with third parties.
- Privacy-focused browsers like Tor, Brave, and DuckDuckGo do not collect app-level location data, proving that continuous tracking isn’t technically necessary.
Google Chrome recently introduced approximate location sharing to give users more control over their whereabouts. While that’s a step in the right direction, a new study indicates that the mobile browser industry still has a massive location-tracking problem.
Cybersecurity firm Surfshark analyzed 15 popular mobile browser applications and discovered that over half of them actively gather user location data. Even more concerningly, four of those apps are scooping up your precise location, rather than a generalized area.
While using the best VPN is a fantastic way to spoof your IP address and encrypt your online traffic, granting app-level location permissions on your smartphone can completely bypass those protections, giving away your physical whereabouts.
“Your browser maps your daily routine and weekend plans before you’ve shared them with anyone. This location tracking is a profit-driven exploitation of personal habits, rather than a technical necessity for the browser to function,” said Justas Pukys, Senior Product Manager at Surfshark.
To help you understand exactly what data you are handing over, here is how the top 15 mobile browsers stack up when it comes to tracking your physical location.
The worst offenders
Precise location collection is far from an industry standard, but four browsers in the study, Microsoft Edge, Aloha, Yandex, and Phoenix, declare that they collect both approximate and precise location data.
Most browsers that collect this data keep it internal, but Microsoft Edge and Aloha are glaring exceptions. Both companies openly acknowledge that they share this location data with third parties, severely elevating the privacy risks for their users.
Phoenix collects this data under the guise of “App functionality” and “Personalization,” while Yandex claims it needs your location for five distinct purposes: “Personalization,” “Advertising or marketing,” “App functionality,” “Analytics,” and “Fraud prevention, security, and compliance.”
Approximate location tracking
Four popular mobile browsers collect only your approximate location: Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Opera, and Mozilla Firefox.
However, the intent behind this collection varies wildly. According to Surfshark’s analysis, Safari limits its location collection strictly to personalizing the user experience.
Opera, on the other hand, relies on your location exclusively for advertising and marketing purposes. Chrome and Firefox fall into the same boat as Yandex, citing a wide spectrum of five distinct purposes ranging from analytics to marketing.
Browsers that don’t track you
The good news is that seven browsers in the study do not collect location data at the app level at all. This proves that continuous location tracking is a lucrative choice, not a technical requirement for rendering web pages.
If you want to keep your daily routines entirely private, Surfshark’s research points to privacy-branded browsers like DuckDuckGo, Brave, Tor, and Ecosia, alongside Samsung Internet, UC Browser, and Mi Browser. All of these declare no app-level location data collection in their Google Play Data Safety disclosures.
The real-world risks of location tracking
Mobile browsers simply do not need to harvest your location data. As Pukys points out, websites that genuinely need your location, like a local weather or delivery site, can request one-time location access directly through the browser.
Allowing your browser app to continuously monitor your movements leaves your daily habits vulnerable.
Constant surveillance exposes your weekly routines to potential malicious entities and data brokers. By opting for approximate location settings in your device menus, or simply switching to less intrusive apps, you can easily reclaim your physical privacy.
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