GPS does not track. It’s a lighthouse, not a searchlight. Cell phones are tracked by the service providers because they need to know your location to smoothly hand you off to between cell towers. Mobile phones have GPS receivers to assist tracking by reporting their position to the towers. Early cell phones did not have GPS, they depended on triangulation to locate phones.
The government does not track cell phones, the service provider must. Law enforcement can obtain access to cell phone locations to locate criminals or reported missing persons.
Verizon is evil. In April 2018, I made a trip to Derby Line, Vermont and passed withing about 50 feet of the Canadian Border. I got “Welcome to Canada” and “Bienvenue au Quebec” messages on my phone, and Google wanted to know how I enjoyed my visit to Canada for the next couple of weeks.
AT&T does the same thing. I think all carriers do.
[ Verizon is evil. ]
I will never have one of their cell phones ever again.
I met a guy who dislikes them more than me, LOL.