In the embodiments of this application, when receiving a location service request from the gateway mobile location network element, the access management network element requests to obtain the location privacy setting data of the user terminal from the data management network element, and performs a corresponding location service operation based on the location privacy setting data. For example, if the first location privacy setting data is requiring to notify a user and being authorized by the user to determine whether to allow positioning, the access management network element sends a notification message to the user terminal by using the access network, and when receiving a location permission message from the user terminal, requests to obtain location information of the user terminal. The access management network element may further obtain current location privacy setting data of the user terminal from the user terminal, and compare the current location privacy setting data with the location privacy setting data obtained from the data management network element. If the current location privacy setting data is different from the location privacy setting data obtained from the data management network element, the access management network element may send the current location privacy setting data to the data management network element, so that the data management network element updates the location privacy setting data of the user terminal. In another possible implementation, when receiving action indication information and data signature data from the gateway mobile location network element, the access management network element verifies whether the digital signature data matches the action indication information, and if the digital signature data does not match the action indication information, determines that the gateway mobile location network element delivers an error indication.