{"id":28095,"date":"2013-08-07T06:30:24","date_gmt":"2013-08-07T13:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=28095"},"modified":"2025-08-18T01:19:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T08:19:30","slug":"geo-location","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/geo-location\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are the Risks of Geo-Location?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Using your mobile\u2019s built-in global positioning system (GPS) functionality allows location-based services (or geo-location) to locate and publish information about your whereabouts. Applications like Foursquare, Facebook and Yelp allow you to \u201ccheck in\u201d at places using your mobile phone, and then share your location with friends or on social networks. The application knows where you are because it taps into your phone\u2019s GPS longitude and latitude data.<\/p>\n

It can actually be a nifty tool and a smart use of available technologies, like when you are trying to find directions to a place: the map begins your directions where you are, since it knows your location. Some businesses even provide discounts or freebies as a reward for checking in.<\/p>\n

While GPS can help you find places you\u2019re going to and discover local deals, sharing your location with the world could pose some danger, so it\u2019s critical to be aware of the risks that we face when using location-based services or geo-tagging.<\/p>\n

For instance, you may not mind sharing your exact location with friends and family, but what about with people you don\u2019t know? When your location is broadcast on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, you lose control of the information. Anyone can see it. Say you check into a hotel while on vacation. A thief could see your check-in, do an online search for your home address and rob you while you\u2019re away.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, kids and teens like to use these services to help them meet up with friends, but imagine what could happen if your child\u2019s exact location fell into the wrong hands. That\u2019s why as parents we need to be particularly vigilant if our kids use location-based services.<\/p>\n

GPS data is also used in geotagging. Geotagging includes longitude and latitude data in the image file automatically unless this is turned off. This technology is prevalent in images and videos taken by both smartphones and digital cameras.<\/p>\n

This is troublesome because many of us are unaware of this feature, even though sharing images online has become immensely popular. Sites such as Instagram, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube are filled with pictures and videos that include location information. Most of the time, that information won\u2019t matter, but you could be inadvertently telling people where you are just by sharing what you may think is an innocent photo.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s some tips to use location services safely:<\/h2>\n