Google Maps Timeline Going Local: What E-commerce Marketers Need to Know

Google has announced that from 18th May 2025, location history (Timeline) will function in a new mode. What’s changing?

• Data will be stored directly on the user’s device, not in the cloud as before.
• If users don’t confirm their settings by this date, existing data about routes and visited places will be deleted and the Timeline feature will be turned off.
• The default data retention period will be shortened to 3 months, instead of the current 18.
• Users will have easier access to settings and data deletion options directly in the Maps application.

This continues Google’s efforts to increase transparency and control over what location data is stored and how it’s accessible.

Why might this interest the e-commerce sector?

For most e-commerce companies, this isn’t a change that will significantly affect their daily business. However, if you’re among the companies that:

• work with mobile applications with geolocation functions,
• use Google Maps API with extensions based on location history (e.g., for route planning or personalised recommendations),
• implement hyperlocal campaigns based on customers’ visited places (e.g., if you retarget people who have been to physical shops), the new rules may present certain limitations in data availability. It’s appropriate to reassess your technical solutions.

How to approach the changes in Google Maps Timeline

Basic geographic targeting options, such as Google Ads advertisements based on IP address or current device location, remain unchanged. Likewise, if you work with data obtained from your own applications, analytical tools, or directly from customers with consent, you can continue to use them – naturally, in accordance with applicable personal data protection legislation.

So if your e-commerce strategy isn’t directly dependent on data from Google Maps Timeline, you probably won’t need to change anything significant. Nevertheless, it’s advisable to verify where your location data comes from and whether these changes will affect you in practice at all.

If you use Google Maps as part of a mobile application, it’s recommended to check whether your implementation happens to use functions dependent on location history.

From a long-term perspective, it may be worthwhile to invest in your own collection of location data. One approach is, for example, obtaining user consent during registration or directly during interaction with the application. The key is to maintain transparency and clearly explain what value the customer gains from this.

The changes to Google Maps Timeline from May 2025 reflect a broader trend: users want more control over their data, and technologies are gradually adapting to this. For most e-commerce brands, this won’t represent a fundamental disruption to operations. But companies that use location data in a targeted way – for example in mobile applications or for geotargeting campaigns – should be prepared for this change.