Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
- Users discovered that the Google Messages app appeared in the Play Store’s privacy dashboard.
- The warning stated that the app was sharing location data with third parties.
- Google says the app appeared in the privacy dashboard by accident and has now been fixed.
Update, December 14, 2023 (10:06 AM ET): Google has let Android Authority know that the problem described in the original article below has been fixed. If you are still seeing the erroneous setting, sit tight, as it will resolve itself soon.
Original article, December 13, 2023 (05:53 PM ET): The Play Store‘s privacy dashboard — a feature that shows you apps that are accessing data, what permissions are being used, and when that access is happening — added a “Data sharing updates for location” summary after Android 14 launched. Google Messages recently appeared in that dashboard, suggesting the app was sharing location data, but it appears a mistake was made.