By now, many facebook and Twitter users are familiar with the location sharing service called Foursquare. Messages such as, “Brian has just checked in at LAX in Los Angeles” are common among the social notifications posted on many networks. However, some sources have hinted that a new location sharing service may be coming, and it may be integrated with facebook itself.
Is this a good move? Websites such as “Please Rob Me” have highlighted the potential danger of sharing your up-to-the-minute location details on social networks. Facebook has also been the target of criticism for security features that are difficult to navigate, and not focused on protecting the privacy of their users. This criticism also sparked a “facebook protest”, which culminated with many users making a public statement by deleting their facebook accounts.
How Much is Your Privacy Worth?
As of right now, privacy concerns are the main reason why some people are opting out of the popular facebook social network. In the online business world, companies spend millions of dollars each year attempting to discover personal information about potential customers. This information may include:
- Favorite Commercial Brands
- Favorite TV Shows
- Email Address
- Phone Number
- Full Name
- City of Residence
Is it surprising, then, that facebook asks for all of this information from its users, and is just now starting to slowly make it easier for companies to share this information? For example, facebook is now integrated with many websites, allowing users to “like” content from all over the web. By opting in to this service, a person can visit a site such as CNN, and view a live “feed” of all of the stories that their facebook friends have also liked. While this creates a more “personal” experience, it also has security risks as well.
Location Sharing for Convenience
The debate about the reason for implementing location-sharing features is ongoing. The argument for location sharing is that it is social, convenient and makes each step outside a personable experience. For example, a user could share that they’re at a large coffee house downtown, and see that a few of their facebook friends are also at the same coffee shop. During large tech industry events, such as E3, several people could arrange to meet up in specific locations based on everyone’s location updates.
How Much Do You Really Share?
In the end, the concept of location sharing really comes down to personal preference. As long as you are aware of the potential security risk of constantly advertising your location, you are entitled to use the service as you see fit. However, with the potential location sharing feature that may be coming to facebook, it would be ideal to have an “opt-out” feature (similar to the feature on twitter) that allows a user to easily decide if they want to share their location.
**Facebook logo and associated images are from http://www.facebook.com
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