DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15564050
title: Survey on the Privacy and Transparency of Location Data

description: Survey on Privacy and Transparency of Location Data

Author: Maxim Van de WynckelSupervisor: Prof. Dr. Beat SignerSurvey published on: January, 2025Survey closed on: End of May, 2025

This dataset contains information about our survey on the “Privacy and Transparency of Location Data”. The survey was launched in January 2025 and was primarily used to determine how users perceive the privacy and transparency of their location data in mobile applications.

File Structure



README.md: This file.

data_pseudonymised.xlsx: Pseudonymised survey results.

data_pseudonymised.csv: Pseudonymised survey results.

images/: Contains aggregated images of the survey results.

screenshots/: Screenshots of the survey


data_pseudonymised.{xlsx,csv}

Columns



ID: Identifier of the participant (randomised)

Q2 -> Q29: Question answers

QX_Y: X is the question, Y is the subquestion

Q*_TRANSLATION: Translation from Dutch for questions where Q* was an open question with a Dutch response

Origin: Country code


Questions

In this section, we list all the questions asked in the survey. We also provide additional context as to why some of these questions were asked. Each question is numbered (e.g., Q5); this is an internal numbering and corresponds to the results presented in Pseudonymised Results.

General Awareness

We began with general questions concerning participants' awareness of location data privacy. Some of these questions also serve as redundant questions for other questions. The possible answers to these questions are sometimes intentionally vague or self-explanatory to encourage participants to think critically about the potential impacts. Additionally, these questions help scope the follow-up questions.

[Q2] How familiar are you with the concept of location data tracking?

Participants were asked about their familiarity with location data tracking. Choices ranged from "Not at all familiar" (1) to "Extremely familiar" (5).

[Q3] How can services or companies track your physical location? (Tick all that apply)

Options (random order):



By sharing my location data using an application

Through surveillance cameras

By monitoring wireless activity

By accessing cloud data

Through my visits to websites

By intercepting cellular signals

Through my social media posts


[Q4] Which of the following applications do you think use your location data? (Tick all that apply)

Options (random order):



GPS/Maps applications

Social media apps

Weather apps

E-commerce platforms

Ride-sharing or food delivery apps

Smart home devices or assistants

Travel or airline apps

Fitness or health-tracking apps

Banking apps

E-mail clients

Applications to control smart devices

None of the above


[Q5] Have you ever installed a navigation application for one specific building?

Context: For navigating an airport, conference, hospital or any other building. Answers: yes, no, or unsure.

[Q6] How often do you check the permissions granted to apps regarding location tracking?

Answers: always, often, sometimes, rarely, never.

[Q7] How often do you read privacy policies when downloading or using apps?

Gauge: 0 (never) to 10 (always).

[Q8] Without checking, what percentage of applications on your smartphone have constant access to your location data?

Context: Constant access means the app can request your location even when not running. Gauge: 0% to 100%.

[Q9] On a scale from 1 to 10, how valuable do you think your location data is to third parties?

Gauge: 1 to 10.

Privacy Concerns

This set of questions aims to assess any privacy issues associated with location data.

[Q10] Rank the following concerns about location data tracking

Options:



Data being shared with third parties

Data used for targeted advertising

Data being stolen in a breach

Lack of transparency about data usage

Being monitored by authorities/employers

Being monitored by friends/family

Denied access due to profiling

Apps collecting more information than needed

Unclear consent processes

Cross-device tracking by third parties


[Q11] How concerned are you about the following scenarios?

Scale: 1 (not at all concerned) to 5 (extremely concerned). Scenarios:



Data sold to third parties

Detailed profiling

Denial of services due to profiling

Unauthorised movement tracking

Data vulnerable to breaches


[Q12] Do you feel you have enough control over how your location data is used?

Scale: 1 (definitely not) to 5 (definitely yes). Follow-up based on answer:



Why do you feel you need more control?

Why do you feel you have enough control?


[Q13] Have you ever refused to use an app or service because of privacy concerns?

Yes/No.

[Q14] What actions, if any, do you take to limit location tracking?

Open question.

Transparency of Applications and Systems

[Q15] How transparent do you believe apps and systems are about location data?

Scale: 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Statements:



Apps explain why they need location

Privacy policies are easy to understand

I feel informed about sharing

I know how often apps access my location

I understand the impact of declining sharing


[Q16] Would you trust an app more with real-time location access notifications?

Context: e.g., an icon like when the camera is used Options:



Yes, much more confident

Yes, if not intrusive

No, it wouldn’t affect trust


[Q17] If a company misuses location data, how would it affect your behaviour?

Options:



Stop using the service

Change permissions

Switch to a competitor

Demand accountability

No change in behaviour


[Q18] What’s your preferred way for apps to communicate location policies?

Options:



Summary during setup

Detailed document

Short video

Periodic notifications

Other (with text field Q18_TEXT)


[Q19] How comfortable would you be with local storage of location data?

Scale: 1 (extremely uncomfortable) to 5 (extremely comfortable)

Valuation of Location Data

[Q20] How important is location data to your daily apps?

Options: not at all, slightly, moderately, very, extremely, don’t know.

[Q21] Would you pay for a no-tracking version of an app?

Context: Disable tracking via fee Options: yes, maybe, no

[Q22] What kind of incentive would justify location tracking?

Options:



Improved performance/features

Personalised content

Monetary rewards

None

Other (Q22_TEXT)


[Q23] Why do you think companies collect location data?

Options:



Improve features

Advertising

Sell data

Analytics

Legal compliance

UX improvements

Other (Q23_TEXT)


[Q24] How valuable are the following tracking types to third parties?

Scale: 1 (not valuable) to 5 (extremely valuable) Types:



Exact current location

Constant movement tracking

General area (e.g., city)

Past location history

Aggregated trends


[Q25] Rank the following personal data by importance

Data types (random order):



Location data

Web browsing activity

Home address

Phone number

Email address

Social media profile

Health/medical info

Calendar info

Photos

Email messages


Demographic Information

Only age ([Q26]) and whether the participant lives in the EU ([Q27]) were collected to assess the impact of regulations like the GDPR.

Pseudonymised Results

In total, 58 users participated. Identifiable info (e.g., IP, rough location, timestamps, internal IDs) was removed. Responses were cleaned and randomised. Open answers were reviewed and translated (if in Dutch).

The results highlighted that third-party selling of location data is a major concern. Interoperable positioning systems could offer better transparency and support privacy optimisation in future systems.

License

This dataset is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. You are free to share and adapt the material for non-commercial purposes, provided you give appropriate credit, indicate if changes were made, and distribute your contributions under the same license.