“That means Google itself will no longer have access to user location history data. And by extension, neither will law enforcement”
Geofence warrants ask Google for every phone near a place at a time. Google answers by moving Timeline data onto the phone, so there is nothing on its servers to hand over. The pressure came from abortion prosecutions and a letter from 42 members of Congress. Google is not giving up the data out of principle. It is giving up the subpoenas.