• About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Submit For Review
  • Template Gallery
  • Excel 2016 Udemy Course
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

TheAppTimes

App Reviews, Tutorials, & Gadget News Hub

  • Gadgets
  • How To
  • Mobile Apps
  • Software and Web Apps
  • Buying Guides
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home » How To » Staying Secure on Your Smartphone: The Dangers of Geo-Tagging

Staying Secure on Your Smartphone: The Dangers of Geo-Tagging

August 29, 2012

When you think of smartphone security, you’re probably thinking about passwords and code locks to keep identity thieves (and just plain old thieves) out of your precious phone. While these measures are important, they’re not the only security issues you need to be aware of when it comes to caring for your smartphone. It’s recently come to light that numerous Apple and Android apps have secretly requested your permission to capture your geo-location – via GPS – so that they can tell exactly where you are whenever your phone’s GPS is turned on. This post takes a look at the dangers of geo-tagging and on staying secure on your smartphone.

The Dangers of Geo-Tagging

Alan Brill, senior managing director at Kroll Advisory Solutions, says “There’s a privacy concern; maybe you don’t want billions of people to know where you live.” Brill points out that geo-tagging technology can these days be used to embed your location into posts and photos that you upload to social networking sites, so hundreds of e-friends and strangers can access information about where you are at any given time by simply using EXIF interpreter software. There are some major concerns about safety and security when it comes to geo-tagging, especially where business or children are concerned.

Businesses which store geo-location data may at some point find themselves with a huge legal burden if the information becomes ‘sensitive data’ – which, as it stands, looks likely. Where children are concerned, it’s clear that social networking sites like Facebook are already frequently being used by under 16s. Given that the old chestnut ‘don’t tell strangers where you live’ has become redundant in a digital age, there is understandable cause for concern. All it takes is someone with a basic grasp of technology to extract the EXIF data from a Facebook photo and use it to work out exactly where the image was taken.The whole process can be completed in under two minutes.

ALSO READ:  Games You Should be Playing on Your Smartphone this Week

Staying Secure on Your Smartphone

Staying Secure on Your Smartphone: The Dangers of Geo-Tagging

If you’re starting to get concerned about your own security, there are certain steps that can be taken to enhance your privacy.

You should make sure that your phone’s GPS is not enabled as standard, and is ideally turned off all the time unless you specifically need to use it. You should also be careful about what you download, since it’s apps that can have these permissions embedded in them. Who knows, if we all start to exercise more due caution instead of installing apps willy-nilly, perhaps developers will listen and stop embedding unnecessary geo-location tools into their apps. Of course, the biggest privacy issue occurs when we post photographs online which reveal our location. You can obviously avoid this by turning off GPS while you’re posting photographs, but it seems rather sad to think that we should even have to.

Surely a security issue which can effectively aid stalkers, perverts and criminals should not be taken lightly by smartphone manufacturers and software developers? Keep that GPS turned off for now – not only will it preserve your privacy, but it’ll preserve your precious battery life.

Author Bio

This guest post was written by Simon from Best Mobile Contracts, a UK phone comparison website that has been saving people money for over five years.

Tweet
Share
WhatsApp
Pin
Buffer
0 Shares

Filed Under: How To Tagged With: geo-tagging, smartphone

You May Also Like

300 seize your glory fi
Games You Should be Playing on Your Smartphone this Week
Smartphone Recycling Apps - TATFI
4 Smartphone Recycling Apps Your Carbon Footprint Will Love!
How to Protect Your Smartphone While Traveling

About Community Contributions

This post is written by a community contributor. You can find details about the writer within the article content, either at the top of the post or towards the end.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Robert Koenig says

    August 30, 2012 at 4:34 am

    I never thought about the dangers of geo-tagging. This piece was enlightening. Sometimes it’s just easier to tag my location on a photo rather than writing it out.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hottest New Gadgets!

Amazfit Falcon Smartwatch - TATFI

The Amazfit Falcon is a Military Grade Smartwatch with Premium Looks and Great Features

Couchmaster Cyboss Ergonomic Couch Desk - TATFI

Couchmaster Cyboss is an Ergonomic Desk to Keep Off Neck Pain

Philips Hue Festavia String Lights - TATFI

Add a Bit of Sparkle to Your Christmas Tree with Philips Hue Festavia String Lights

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite Kids Edition - TATFI

This Kid Friendly Tablet from AT&T is a Thoughtful Gift for Your Little One This Christmas

Is An iPhone Really Worth It - TATFI

Is an iPhone is Really Worth It?

Devices You Might Want to Try - TATFI

4 Fantastic Devices You Might Want to Try

Amazon Kindle 2022 - TATFI

Meet the Amazon Kindle 2022 – Packed with New Features

Popular Tags

android android apps android games android how to apple casino games chrome extensions excel excel how to facebook gadgets gaming gmail google instagram ios apps ios games ios how to ios tips ipad iphone kids apps learn excel management microsoft music apps new releases outlook how to photo apps powerpoint powerpoint how to productivity Samsung security smartphone smartphones software tablet tablets twitter web browsers windows 10 word how to xbox youtube

Disclosure

TheAppTimes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Approaches to Digital Marketing - TATFI

Blending Technical and Content-Centric Approaches to Digital Marketing

Tech Tips For Startups - TATFI

Useful Tech Tips For Startups

Boox Tab X Android eReader - TATFI

Boox Tab X is an Android eReader That Helps You Do More Than Just Read

Best e Readers to Buy in 2023 - TATFI

5 Best eReaders to Buy in 2023

Best Translation Apps for Android - TATFI

5 Great Translation Apps for Android

Dynamic Island Feature on Your Android - TATFI

How to Get the Dynamic Island Feature on Android

Connected TV Advertising In 2023 - TATFI

5 Things You Need To Know About Connected TV Advertising In 2023

Smart Cost Cutting Strategies for SMEs - TATFI

5 Smart Cost Cutting Strategies for SMEs

Frequently Asked Questions About PMP - TATFI

Frequently Asked Questions About PMP

Technologies behind the online casino world - TATFI

The Latest Technologies Behind the Online Casino World

B2B Marketing Strategies To Grow Your Business - TATFI

Effective B2B Marketing Strategies To Grow Your Business

Exciting Games To Play This Christmas - TATFI

Exciting Games To Play With Family And Friends This Christmas

TheAppTimes © 2023 // Runs on StudioPress