Quadrant Newsletter: Sep 2026

Geospatial data enters a new era of AI driven trust

As location data becomes increasingly embedded in AI systems and automated decision making, the quality and provenance of the underlying data matter more than ever. A new World Geospatial Industry Council report highlights the resulting challenges around data lineage, transparency, accuracy, and accountability.

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Location data is becoming a national security conversation

The US military has taken steps to disable advertising trackers on devices used by personnel following concerns that commercially available location data could potentially expose sensitive information. This reaffirms the need for responsible sourcing, consent, anonymization, and strong data governance around location data use.

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Precise location remains sensitive under California privacy law

California's CCPA continues to classify precise geolocation as sensitive personal information. Consumers have specific rights regarding the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information, including the ability to limit certain uses.

For companies working with location datasets, this reinforces the importance of understanding the difference between raw precise location data and appropriately aggregated or anonymized datasets, as well as the applicable legal basis and permitted use.