The Geolocation API
Modern web browsers utilize a powerful Geolocation API. When you visit a website, the site can request access to your physical location. Google Chrome then attempts to calculate exactly where you are sitting by analyzing your IP address, scanning nearby Wi-Fi network hardware signatures, and talking to your operating system’s GPS (if available). While useful for a maps application, endless news websites and retail stores constantly bombard you with pop-ups begging for your location just to serve you targeted local advertisements. To maintain absolute physical privacy, you must destroy this API.
How to Block Location Tracking Globally
You can permanently lock down your physical coordinates via Chrome’s 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.”
Absolute Physical Privacy
The change takes effect instantly. Google Chrome will completely sever its internal connection to the Geolocation API. The browser is now permanently blind to your physical coordinates. If a website attempts to run a script to determine your location, Chrome will instantly auto-reject the request in the background. You will never again see a “Website wants to know your location” pop-up. Websites will be forced to rely exclusively on your generalized IP address, guaranteeing that your highly specific neighborhood and street data remains entirely hidden.