Important Notice for Public Defenders

Google announced by the end of 2024, Google Maps Timeline user location data history will be deleted from the cloud and will now be stored on the device, but for only the last 3 months.  Google is moving from a free cloud-based feature to a subscription-based program.

Google Maps Timeline is a free feature built into a user’s Gmail account that when enabled can track the device location by GPS.

Google’s location data is GPS based so it’s very accurate and combined with its long retention period (from when the account was first created) makes it a valuable tool to prove someone’s innocence, but it’s often overlooked by the defense.

Google Maps Timeline launched in 2015 for Android devices and at set up of the device a default prompt was to create a Gmail recovery password, so if the user has an Android there likely could be a Gmail account containing GPS location data from as far back as 2015.

Introduced for iPhones in 2017, but not prompted by default at set up, a Gmail app. is common and history can go as far back as 2017.

The data can still be preserved until approximately the end of 2024.  Take action now to preserve any exculpatory Gmail location data before its deleted by using a feature called Google Take out.

Takeout.google.com

How to download your Google data

Step 1: Select data to include in your download archive

  • Log into your Google Account.
  • Go to the Google Takeout page.  Google products which you utilize and hold your data are automatically selected.
  • If you don’t want to download data from a product, uncheck the box beside it.
  • If you only want to download some of your data from a product, you may have the option to select a button like All data included List.  Then, you can uncheck the box next to data you don’t want to include.
  • Select Next step.
  • Important: Your data file may not include changes made to your data between when you request a download and when you create your archive.  Learn more about what data may not be included.

Step 2: Customize your archive format

Select delivery method:

    • Send download link via email
    • Add to Drive
    • Add to Dropbox
    • Add to Microsoft OneDrive
    • Add to Box

Export type:

    • One-time archive
    • Scheduled exports

File type:

    • Zip files
    • Tgz files

Archive size:

Choose the maximum size archive you want to create. If the data you’re downloading is larger than this size, multiple archives will be created.

Step 3: Get your Google data archive

When your archive is created by using one of these options, we’ll email you a link to its location. Depending on the amount of information in your account, this process could take from a few minutes to a few days.  Most people get the link to their archive the same day that they request it.

Moving forward the location data will reside in the device and recovery would have to be preserved forensically using a tool like Cellebrite.

Check your cases for GPS location data while it’s still available.