Which is why Apple takes the stance that the users device shouldn't be sending data to the mothership at all, if it isn't absolutely necessary.

Compare Apple Maps and Google Maps.

Google initially hoovered up all your location data and kept it forever. They learned from Waze that one use case for location data was keeping your map data updated.

Apple figured out how to accomplish the goal of keeping map data updated without storing private user data that could be subject to a subpoena.

> “We specifically don’t collect data, even from point A to point B,” notes Cue. “We collect data — when we do it — in an anonymous fashion, in subsections of the whole, so we couldn’t even say that there is a person that went from point A to point B.

The segments that he is referring to are sliced out of any given person’s navigation session. Neither the beginning or the end of any trip is ever transmitted to Apple. Rotating identifiers, not personal information, are assigned to any data sent to Apple... Apple is working very hard here to not know anything about its users.

https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/29/apple-is-rebuilding-maps-f...

Google or Apple could be forced by authorities to perform correlation on the map tiles being requested by users under investigation. Not as accurate as GPS coordinates but probably useful nonetheless.

One more reason to prefer offline maps for those who value privacy.

Given that you can browse map data for any location, not just where you happen to be, I'm betting that triangulation data from your carrier would be more accurate.

Sure, triangulation of carrier signals could lead to more accurate position estimates, but if the carrier isn't based in the US they are under no obligation to make this data available to US authorities.

Apple and Google are based in the US so are bound by the CLOUD Act to provide any and all data they have, no matter where in the world it is being collected or stored.