Android now stops you sharing your location in photos

Google's Android operating system has increasingly made it difficult, if not impossible, for web applications to access geolocation data embedded in photos. This change, which was implemented without developer consultation, significantly impacts services that rely on photo EXIF data, such as a site that maps memorial benches.

• Initially, Google deprecated the <input type="file" accept="image/jpeg"> method, which allowed direct geotagged photo uploads.
• Developers were then encouraged to use a more generic file picker (<input type="file">), but this method has also been modified to strip EXIF data.
• Even other sharing mechanisms like Bluetooth, QuickShare, and email now remove location information from photos.
• The only remaining way to transfer a photo with intact geolocation data is via a physical USB connection to a computer and subsequent upload from a desktop browser.
• Google's stated rationale for these changes is user privacy, aiming to prevent accidental sharing of sensitive location data embedded in photos, especially as most social media platforms automatically strip this information.
• However, the author views these actions as an overreach by Google, citing an "anticompetitive monopoly" and a complete lack of community engagement or prior notice.
• The changes force developers into building expensive native applications, despite the existence of specific Android permissions for accessing geolocation in images within native apps.

The author expresses deep frustration over the lack of communication and the significant burden these unilateral platform changes place on web developers and niche applications, calling for a more nuanced solution than outright blocking access.