Are you concerned about the security risks of location-based services?
We like it when our favorite networks offer more features, but we fear that we’re feeding too much personal information into the machine to make those features possible. We yearn for greater connection, yet we worry about our privacy.
It’s the eternal struggle of the social-media scene, and nowhere is it more obvious than with location-based services.
On the one hand, there’s a lot of excitement around networks such as Foursquare and MyTown. The idea of making social plans on the fly is appealing to some, while others enjoy broadcasting their activities or even earning special privileges at some businesses.
On the other hand, the concerns are persistent and, unlike some privacy worries on traditional social networks, they’re grounded in the real world. We’re not just talking about a company maybe knowing more about my music preferences than I want it to know, or spammers, or even the threat of hackers and identity thieves. Location-based threats exist in the real world, and they speak to some of our deepest fears. What if I’m stalked? What my home is robbed while I’m out? What if I’m attacked? And what if? And what if?
Some networks, such as the newly launched Rally Up, try to ameliorate these fears somewhat by placing a stronger emphasis on privacy and security. But even the best network can open people up to some real risks if they’re careless. Can location-based social networks ever really be safe?
Do you use location-based networks? Are you concerned about the privacy issues they present? Is there anything these networks can do to limit their users’ exposure?
Image credit, Galushko Sergey, via Shutterstock
Posted by uberVU - social comments on April 1st, 2010 at 8:24 am
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Posted by @RickStoner on April 1st, 2010 at 4:25 pm
I think early-adopters of SM services, regardless of the new wrinkle (in this case location-based) shoot first, ask questions last. So while privacy may not be much of a concern for digital marketers, it's important to recognize it certainly will be among the early and late majority of end-users who give it a shot.
I think the key component is as long as check-ins are voluntary and not automated via GPS tracking, the level of privacy can be determined by the end-user. For example, I went to a funeral last week. Not exactly something I was going check-in and shout to my friends on foursquare. The choice not to check-in is key.
Posted by P Todd Kelly on April 5th, 2010 at 6:00 am
This is a concern I hear voiced by my clients regularly. I believe that theirs is a legitimate concern. While I am not necessarily afraid of the intrusion of some of these location based services, I am creeped out by the technology just a little bit. What I think I fear from the future of these services, though, is more the invasion of privacy – being inundated by location-driven advertising wherever I go.