Except you can't for Google Play Services, the key "app" that every other app needs for all the Google APIs. So sure, individual apps can't get your local, but Google still can almost always.

Great, you've covered 0.1% of the Android user base.

Are we talking about things we like, use and do, or are we in a pissing contest about who's team is winning?

We're talking about privacy protections for all users, not just HN users. The change in iOS 13 doesn't allow you to do anything that wasn't possible before, the settings have existed for years. It "just" periodically asks if you really want to let that app access your location in the background all the time, showing you a map where it did so in the last few days. And according to the article, people are saying "no" a lot.

Users will disallow tracking if prompted. The average user won't go out of their way to spoof location data, though.

Apps can detect this, and some apps will ban you if you mock your location.

Wait, they'll ban me from their privacy-invading malvertising? Where do I sign up?

that's a special case in my opinion since the gameplay revolved around your location

Some location-based dating apps will do this.

yay "solutions"