The Geographic Surveillance
Modern web browsers feature an advanced Location API that allows websites to triangulate your exact physical coordinates using a combination of your IP address, nearby Wi-Fi networks, and GPS hardware. While useful for mapping applications or finding local weather, this API is heavily abused by marketing firms and retail websites attempting to build a geographic profile of your shopping habits. If you accidentally click “Allow,” a website can track your location every time you open a tab. If you demand absolute geographic privacy while browsing the web, you must force Google Chrome to completely block all location requests.
How to Block Location Access Globally
You can permanently lock the browser out of the operating system’s location services via the Site Settings.
- Open the Google Chrome desktop browser.
- Click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top right corner and select Settings.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Privacy and security.
- In the main window, click on Site settings.
- Under the “Permissions” heading, click on Location.
- Under the “Default behavior” heading, select the radio button for “Don’t allow sites to see your location.”
A Geographic Blackout
The change takes effect instantly. Google Chrome will completely sever its internal connection to the Windows or macOS location tracking stack. The browser will instantly auto-reject every single request from any website attempting to triangulate your position. You will never see a permission pop-up, and you can browse the internet with the absolute guarantee that your physical location remains completely invisible to the websites you visit.