A recent study highlights significant data leaks associated with popular free VPN apps available on iOS and Android. Despite their claims of privacy protection, many of these applications have been found to expose sensitive user data, raising concerns about their reliability and the true safety they offer to users.

The author details their personal project of creating a custom location history tracker to replace Google Maps due to privacy concerns. They describe the architecture, including a Rust backend with PostgreSQL and PostGIS for geolocation data, and an iOS app that efficiently collects significant location updates with minimal battery impact. The project also features live location sharing through unique links and a visually appealing map display.