Why do phone apps need to know my location?

[kitep]

I've noticed when installing apps on my phone, a lot of them need to know my location.  Even things like a flashlight and battery meter.  Obviously they DON'T need to know my location for their main purpose.  I've been assuming it's so they can target ads at me more effectively.  But is there a more nefarious reason 

[Leviathan]

Aren't targeted ads nefarious enough?

[CaptRory]

Probably. Every month I read news stories detailing something even worse coming down the pipe. I don't freaking trust anyone at this point.

[kitep]

Are ads the actual reason?  I was just guessing.

[Leviathan]

The other possibility is that ignorant or lazy app creators are asking for permissions they don't need, either "just in case" or because some tutorial told them to do it.

[Jackinthegreen]

Some of it might just be data collection for the purposes of seeing how widespread a particular app is.

[Libertad]

Some of it might just be data collection for the purposes of seeing how widespread a particular app is.

Or in the case of Angry Birds, the US government might want to spy on you.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

While you're playing Angry Birds ...

[oslecamo]

While you're playing Angry Birds ...

Just because you're not directly running an app, it doesn't stop it from running on the background if that's what it was programmed to do. Gods know how many of the programs on my computer would be running simultaneously every time I start the power if I didn't specifically go to their properties and modified them to stop draining my system.

Even worse in a cellphone, where you don't have the tools to directly check that kinda of stuff.

[X-Codes]

While you're playing Angry Birds ...

Just because you're not directly running an app, it doesn't stop it from running on the background if that's what it was programmed to do. Gods know how many of the programs on my computer would be running simultaneously every time I start the power if I didn't specifically go to their properties and modified them to stop draining my system.

Even worse in a cellphone, where you don't have the tools to directly check that kinda of stuff.

I don't know about iPhones, but Android suspends programs that aren't in use.  There might be a workaround that keeps a program from being fully suspended, but I'm not sure.

[Nunkuruji]

They don't, or shouldn't need to know, unless its one of those geolocation/gps type of games that people run around and play.

Ultimately, lazy app devs or sinister devs & advertisers.

Android does have some sort of app task killer or some such you can get.

[oslecamo]

While you're playing Angry Birds ...

Just because you're not directly running an app, it doesn't stop it from running on the background if that's what it was programmed to do. Gods know how many of the programs on my computer would be running simultaneously every time I start the power if I didn't specifically go to their properties and modified them to stop draining my system.

Even worse in a cellphone, where you don't have the tools to directly check that kinda of stuff.

I don't know about iPhones, but Android suspends programs that aren't in use.  There might be a workaround that keeps a program from being fully suspended, but I'm not sure.

There is, because just last month I discovered I had some app eating my android cellphone budget every day, which I don't even rememember installing, and I'm pretty damn sure I wasn't using it, let alone using it every day, even when it ran out of battery and I had to restart it, which should close all apps until I call them back again. Had to connect the cellphone to my laptopn so I could find and erase the little bastard directly.

Now, if an app can just drain my cellphone's budget whitout my permission like that, I'm pretty sure it can also send whatever information it pleases from it.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

And when I pause Angry Birds,
to sneak a peek at a hawtpic of Allison Brie (me-ow-zer)
the feds and the goons are spying on me.

Hey I'm at the Donut Shop.
Should I get Chocolate sprinkles?

[CaptRory]

If the Feds spied on my browser history they'd go blind. 

[Amechra]

If the Feds spied on my browser history they'd go blind. 

I think that applies to most of the American population...