App keeps using location services without permission

[BZ4XGrr]

Minor gripe, but I work in software engineering and think this is a bit naughty.

I have the MyToyota App set to only use location services while using the app. However, even when I have finished using the app, location services continue to be used and the only way I can turn off the location service is by physically force closing the app (e.g. swipe up to close it fully).

This is on iPhone. No other app behaves like this - when you close the app, location services switch off - it's naughty because my phone is a few years old and doesn't have the best Battery, and things like this drain Battery faster.

[IT Troll]

I noticed this too after a recent update. If you set the permission to "only when using app" it still keeps using location services in the background, even if you are not using any location dependent functions. I have now denied the app any access to location services. Hopefully this is just a bug rather than Toyota tracking us to harvest extra telemetry data.

[IT Troll]

I've reported the issue to the Multimedia & Connectivity team via this form:

https://forms.toyota.co.uk/contact-us?method=multimedia&type=Connectivity&hidden=true

[IT Troll]

New update v2.7 out today. Still tracking location at all times unless blocked. I think this has been the case since v2.5.

[IT Troll]

Still doing it in v2.7.1, I also contacted the app dev team via mytapp@toyota-europe.com but haven’t received a response.

I am now trying their UK data protection officer via privacy@tgb.toyota.co.uk

In the past Toyota have accidentally leaked the location data of millions of their customers. So it is concerning if the app is constantly relaying your location even when you are not using the car or any functions which legitimately need this information.

[IT Troll]

The UK DPO got back to me:

Quote

All personal data and information associated with ‘connectivity’ is looked after my Toyota Motor Europe (TME), who are a separate legal entity and Controller to Toyota GB, when it comes to Data Protection matters.

We have passed on your concerns to TME who have investigated and confirmed that the issue you have mentioned below whereby the MyToyota app is ‘ignoring the location permissions’ was an unintentional defect introduced as part of a recent updated with the MyToyota app. TME are currently working on a fix for this defect, which will be released to all application users at the end of July/beginning of August 2024.

We apologise for any concern that this has caused to you , and we thank you for bringing this to our attention so that we can ensure that our apps work as expected, and with data protection as a default.