Approximate vs. precise location in popular location-based services

Abstract

ABSTRACT Location-based services can provide many benefits to their users but sharing one’s location with third parties also incurs privacy risks. As one way to mitigate this, the two major mobile operating systems provide an approximate location feature, which enables users to only share their approximate location instead of their precise location. In order to assess the usefulness of this feature in practice, we analysed 36 iOS and 36 Android apps regarding the impact of using approximate location had on the functionality and usability in practical use. To achieve this, we used each app following a structured methodology with both precise and approximate location and recorded differences in app behaviour. Our results show that using approximate location caused many of the apps’ functionalities to stop working, although some functionalities were more affected than others. We also observed differences regarding which functionalities were most affected and which operating system the app was running on. Our results shed light on the practical use of approximate location in common apps and can benefit researchers interested in location privacy and app use.