Google introduced a new ‘Data sharing updates for location’ dashboard with Android 14 update. It provides users with enhanced control and transparency about the location data used by various applications. However, under this section, some users were seeing a warning – ‘Your location data is shared with third parties’, even though no data was being shared.
The new dashboard alerts individuals when an app attempts to share location data with third parties. However, a recent issue surfaced as some users reported receiving warnings claiming that Google Messages is sharing location data with third party services.
The alert appeared within the Privacy Dashboard, which sparked concerns among users. Moreover, developers inadvertently marked the wrong Data Safety checkbox on the Google Play Store. This further exacerbated users’ concern.
Fortunately, Google promptly addressed this issue and clarified that the warning was erroneous. The tech giant reassured users that the Google Messages app was not actually sharing location data with third parties. Additionally, Google reported (via 9to5Google) that the developers mistakenly checked wrong Data safety box on the Play Store, which has now been corrected.
This clarification from Google comes as a relief for concerned users. Moreover, it confirms that the alert regarding Google Messages’ alleged data sharing was indeed a mistake. That said, users can now rest assured that their location data within the Messages app remains secure. And no data is being shared with third-party services without permission.