Google has been tracking Android users even with location services turned off

Company confirms it receives mobile phone mast tracking data even with sim removed and privacy features active, but says it will cease to by end of November

Google has confirmed it has been able to track the location of Android users via the addresses of local mobile phone masts, even when location services were turned off and the sim cards removed to protect privacy.

Revealed by a report by Quartz, Google's Android system, which handles messaging services to ensure delivery of push notifications, began requesting the unique addresses of mobile phone masts (called Cell ID) at the beginning of 2017.