The largest wireless carriers in the United States not only know where you are every second of the day, they also routinely hold on to that information for years on end, and in some cases, hand that information to law enforcement – whether you like it or not.

For instance, T-Mobile keeps granular latitude and longitude coordinates of devices on its network for up to 90 days, and less-granular cell-site location data for up to 2 years. Verizon holds similar data for up to a year, while AT&T says it retains such data for up to 5 years.

Companies themselves have legitimate reasons to collect your data. One is that they need to make sure their networks are working properly and are reaching subscribers. They are also required by the FCC to provide details location information to 911 dispatchers during an emergency, down to the device’s elevation level so rescuers can more easily locate someone in a building.

Companies often collect location data for purposes not directly related to providing wireless services. For example, Verizon uses location data as an offering to third parties that can “develop insights to help estimate traffic patterns during the morning rush hour or how many customers go to a retail store.”

But too often, location data is shared with the government and law enforcement.

The revelation highlights how private companies are often working indirectly for the government by giving them their personal information – an issue that has increasingly come under intense scrutiny. In some cases, the government will outright buy your data from the companies, whether you’re under a criminal investigation or not.

“Governments collect information for many reasons. But, all too often, data collected by the state is misused and weaponized for other purposes,” said the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)