Google Chrome will no longer share exact location with websites

Google has started rolling out a long-awaited change to the Android version of Chrome. The browser now allows sharing approximate location information with websites instead of precise location. Previously, Chrome directly requested the device’s precise location data for sites requesting location access. This meant sharing more data than necessary, especially for operations such as weather, regional content or local search.

With the new system, users will now be able to use the approximate location option, which has been available in Android applications for a long time, for websites visited via Chrome. Thus, instead of seeing the user’s exact address or current location, sites will have to settle for broader regional location information. Despite this, sensitive location sharing has not been completely removed. Full location access will continue to be available for services that need detailed location information, such as navigation, delivery services or mapping applications.

This change by Google aims to offer a more balanced approach, especially on the privacy side. The absence of the approximate location option on the web side, which has been offered in mobile applications for years, created a remarkable inconsistency for Chrome users. While the Android operating system could allow apps to share approximate location, websites could often access precise location data through Chrome. The new update eliminates this difference.

Google is preparing a new location API for developers

In addition, Google also announced that it is working on a new API for web developers. Thanks to this system, developers will be able to request an approximate location directly from the user or indicate whether the application really needs a precise location. Thus, the level of data to be shared on the user side will become more transparent.

Currently, when many websites request location access, users often fail to understand why sensitive data is needed. The new API approach aims to more clearly show the scope of the location request. In addition, it is planned to prevent developers from requesting unnecessarily sensitive locations.

On the other hand, approximate location sharing does not mean completely anonymous use. Websites will still be able to receive data close to the city or region where the user is located. However, limiting full coordinate sharing can provide a more controlled structure, especially in terms of ad tracking and detailed user profiling.

It is not yet clear when Google will widely offer this feature to Chrome users on Android. However, the company is expected to make this system more widespread with its developer API. Thus, users will be able to have more control over location privacy without completely giving up the web experience.