Unless you opt out. At least that’s what some researchers are claiming. It seems that certain mobile phones, namely those hosting windows7 OS and the iPhone. Apparently the windows smartphone does this even after you’ve switched off this functionally.
This has gone to the law courts in the US now http://m.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/01/microsoft-location-tracking?cat=technology&type=article.
Now you maybe thinking that well it is common knowledge that our phones can be tracked? And sure this is correct. However what is important here are 2 things 1) consent, the phone holder needs to consent to this, and 2) the data is actually in this example being collected and stored in a database. This means that not only are you being tracked without your knowledge, but this data can later be mined. Powerful personal data. And this is happening for your children who have mobile phones too…..