"Your phone collects this data by using what is known as the accelerometer on your phone — a component that allows navigation apps like maps and Waze to function and provides a valuable service to drivers who increasingly use their phones as navigation devices, particularly in large cities. The accelerometer measures the orientation and linear distance traveled by your phone."
What a load of crap. Accelerometers measure only G forces in the plane they are physically oriented.
This is GPS data. Your phone triangulated it's location from multiple satellites, constantly, whether you "allow" it or not.