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StevenBlack
block this domain
i think it is used for capture the user location by gooogle and surely for tracking
userlocation.googleapis.com
Thank you for this @holequantum.
My research into domain userlocation.googleapis.com isn't turning up anything nefarious.
I'm going to need some evidence to support what you think. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying, show us.
Blocking this domain can actually break or reduce location accuracy for any third party app or service should the developer be using Google's Geolocation API. Websites that use the API to provide service get an error outright.
This page demonstrates how to use this API for a website. If you block this domain, the website will have issues getting your location.
It is not advised to block this domain by default. This could cause a myriad of issues for all manner of users.
What you think is "not acceptable" is not relevant. Blocking that domain will causes issues for services that use Google's Location API. Those services may very well need them and putting that domain in in public host will, again, cause more issues than fix. As I said in a previous comment, you realistically cannot just block API domains carelessly.
We have a number of curated sources amalgamated into our lists. Google is among the most, if not THE most scrutinized company when it comes to assessing its trackng activities.
I'm going to let our curators decide. Those who watch Google like a hawk will make this call. I'm not making this call.
When I'm driving, and there's a delay ahead, I want Waze to be able to re-route me to avoid the delay with a sensible bypass route. I give Waze location privileges. I never want my hosts file to make that call for me. That's just me.
Closing.
Just to give you some background, many Google and Microsoft domains have been blocked in the past because they are found to include tracking data while not realising blocking that domain broke core services or functionality.
A community managed list is here: https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/commonly-whitelisted-domains/212
There are a few great examples.
tracking.epicgames.com does indeed include tracking data tied to your personal information, but blocking the domain completely breaks purchasing anything from their store.
clients.google.com is known to track data that is personally identifiable. Blocking the client domains breaks more than one Google service entirely.
Multiple Microsoft domains are tracking and providing OS functionality. Some of these domains are tied to updates, others simply enabling the use of specific apps.
For future reference, when you think you've come across a domain that is suspect, use a web debugger to inspect and scrutinize it. Pass the domain around to friends and have them block it too. The more people the better. You have to be 100% certain it won't affect people negatively. The domains I have submit in the past were inspected and block tested by about a dozen people for months before I opened an issue here to have them added.