Location permissions in the Android system allow applications to transmit users' precise coordinates to advertisers and data brokers. This occurs through advertising SDKs embedded in applications, as revealed by an investigation by the digital rights association Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), based in the United States.
According to this organization, some of these advertising packages are configured by default to access and transmit GPS data immediately after the user grants permission to the application. EFF claims that such tracking can happen even without the developers' knowledge, creating a privacy gap.
SDKs are code modules that developers use to add features to applications; in the case of advertising, they are used to display ads and generate revenue. However, Android lacks a specific location permission for these SDKs. Consequently, if an application receives authorization to access precise location data, integrated third-party libraries can theoretically also obtain this information.
EFF analyzed the documentation and network traffic of Android applications to determine which services receive location data. One example is the BidMachine system, which stated in its Play Store listing that it only collected approximate location. Nevertheless, the foundation discovered the transmission of precise coordinates in applications such as QR Scanner and GPS Speedometer, both of which have over 60 million downloads.
After being asked, the company updated its documentation, acknowledging the collection of precise location. The text states: 'The SDK never requests location permissions: it reads the device location only if the application has already received user permission.' However, the company did not specify how developers can disable this feature.
The investigation also mentions companies such as InMobi, described as the tenth most popular advertising library on Android, as well as Verve (responsible for HyBid SDK) and Huawei (Petal Ads SDK). All of them view location as a resource capable of increasing advertising revenue, which, according to EFF, creates a commercial incentive to maintain data collection.
Activist Bill Budington, a member of EFF, explained to TechCrunch that the analyzed SDKs represent 'a small part of a wider advertising ecosystem,' but this ecosystem already covers billions of users and tens of thousands of applications.
It is widely known that data collected by applications can be used for targeted advertising. It is not uncommon for people to encounter situations where, after searching for something, they are bombarded with similar offers, or see advertisements for local businesses while in another city.
However, EFF states that tracking precise location allows this information to be sold to governments and intelligence agencies, jeopardizing users' privacy. Currently, this data obtained by the advertising industry has been 'used for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) investigations [...] and US military tracking.'
The organization cites the Gravy Analytics leak in 2025 as an example of the scale of the problem. At the time, this company had contracts with giants such as Uber, Apple, and the U.S. government, which used the data to monitor potential illegal immigrants.
Advertising SDKs should not share sensitive data by default. Until governments worldwide establish specific rules, EFF advocates for data collection to be disabled, and for developers to always disable any unnecessary transmission when possible.
The government is working to restore the functionality of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, known as NaVIC, planning the launch of four satellites in the near future.
Space industry minister Jitendra Singh stated in a written response to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that satellite NVS-03 is ready for launch after implementing all corrective measures arising from the NVS-02 anomaly. This will be followed by the launches of NVS-04 and NVS-05, and then another satellite is planned to complete the basic level constellation of NaVIC, which consists of seven satellites.
However, he did not specify the timeline for these launches. Jitendra Singh noted that after the failure of the replacement satellite NVS-02 in 2025, the necessary corrective measures were successfully integrated and tested on satellite CMS-03. These measures will also be applied to subsequent satellites, including the series of NaVIC satellites equipped with two-component propulsion systems.
Currently, navigation services can only be provided by IRNSS 1-B, IRNSS 1-L, and NVS-01. Nevertheless, the NaVIC system requires at least four satellites with operational atomic clocks to function effectively, meaning NaVIC no longer provides autonomous positioning services.
In March of this year, the last atomic clock aboard the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1F (IRNSS-1F) stopped working, leading to the paralysis of NaVIC. The first generation of satellites for NaVIC was launched between 2013 and 2018, but the constellation soon began facing problems due to repeated failures of atomic clocks on several IRNSS series satellites.
The NVS series represents the second generation of satellites for NaVIC. Although ISRO successfully placed NVS-01 into its intended orbit in 2023, the launch of NVS-02 in 2025 failed. This delayed the launch of NVS-03, NVS-04, and NVS-05.
Google announced that it will begin removing Google Assistant from phones, tablets, and Wear OS watches starting September 4th. This change is part of the company's transition to Gemini, its new artificial intelligence tool.
The replacement will occur gradually, potentially taking several weeks to reach all users. After the update is implemented, compatible devices will stop using the previous assistant.
As reported by 9to5Google, the company has already started sending email notifications about this change. The deactivation process begins on September 4th and will be finalized progressively.
This change applies to Android smartphones that meet the minimum requirements to run Gemini and in geographical areas where the chatbot is accessible. Connected devices, such as compatible headphones, will also be affected.
The Assistant, which has been present on Android for many years, will be replaced by Gemini on devices that support the new technology. It is important to note that this change will not affect all Google products; devices like Google TV, Google Home, and smart displays will maintain normal operation.
For older devices, those with Android 9 or earlier versions and less than 2 GB of RAM, a legacy version of Assistant will remain available, allowing basic functionality to be used.
Among the highlighted transformations, those who do not yet have access to Gemini can download it through the Play Store. Furthermore, Google plans to launch new features for Pixel devices, with announcements scheduled for August 12th.
This transition marks the end of an important phase of the Android system, establishing Gemini as the primary assistant on compatible devices, although some older equipment will retain restricted access to Assistant.
Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google DeepMind, has been promoted to assume the position of president of the company and chief scientist at Alphabet, a role previously held by Jeff Dean.
The operational management of DeepMind, which was under Hassabis's responsibility, will be transferred to Koray Kavukcuoglu, who was previously the division's technology director. Kavukcuoglu will also take on the position of senior vice president, responsible for overseeing the progress of Gemini models and advanced research in artificial intelligence.
Concurrently, Jeff Dean will leave Google and establish an independent company with Sanjay Ghemawat, aiming to boost advancements in engineering and science.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of both Google and Alphabet, informed employees that these changes aim to intensify Google's work in the field of AI and ensure the company remains at the technological forefront of the sector.
In reaction to the announcement, Alphabet shares experienced a drop of approximately 4% on the Wall Street Stock Exchange.
