After an evaluation, GNOME has moved from Bugzilla to GitLab. Learn more about GitLab.
No new issues can be reported in GNOME Bugzilla anymore.
To report an issue in a GNOME project, go to GNOME GitLab.
Do not go to GNOME Gitlab for: Bluefish, Doxygen, GnuCash, GStreamer, java-gnome, LDTP, NetworkManager, Tomboy.
Bug 721433 - Add privacy setting to disable GeoLocation functionality
Add privacy setting to disable GeoLocation functionality
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Product: gnome-control-center
Classification: Core
Component: Privacy
3.10.x
Other Linux
: Normal enhancement
: ---
Assigned To: Rui Matos
Control-Center Maintainers
Depends on: 709372
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2014-01-03 21:19 UTC by John Rock
Modified: 2014-08-01 16:23 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---


Description John Rock 2014-01-03 21:19:19 UTC 
Many users will be turned away from GNOME with the addition of the GeoLocation packages in 3.10 due to privacy concerns that arise with the tracking of user location and providing this information to a likely ever growing set of applications that request it. This is especially relevant given that no one can know what these other applications will do with this information, who they themselves might share this information with or whether a user's location may also be exposed in other ways yet unforseen.

It would be ideal if a user could remove (or not install in the first place) all geolocation packages if they were not interested in having their location tracked.

Also, if the geolocation packages are installed on the system there should be a privacy setting that allows disabling of all geolocation tracking and functionality.
Comment 1 Bastien Nocera 2014-01-06 15:01:53 UTC 
This is, for now, dependent on geoclue providing an agent[1], it being implemented in gnome-shell (blocker bug), and finally, adding a toggle for it in the privacy panel (this bug).

[1]: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=73323
Comment 2 Zeeshan Ali 2014-01-06 15:13:02 UTC 
(In reply to comment #1)
> This is, for now, dependent on geoclue providing an agent[1],

For the record, this part is already in place.
Comment 3 Zeeshan Ali 2014-08-01 16:23:10 UTC 
This was solved in 3.12. Also we are adding more controls hopefully soon to privacy panel of control center: bug#731119.