I think it’s pretty cool to check-in with Foursquare when I hang out at the Deschutes Brewery pub. After all, if I spend enough time there and become mayor, maybe I’ll get a free beer. But GPS-based services that track your location can have serious privacy issues, since they also identify where you are NOT.
To highlight this potential risk, a new site called Pleaserobme.com will monitor Twitter for updates coming from Foursquare. This happens when people allow Foursquare to update their Twitter status, which a lot of people do.
Something to keep in mind before you decide to broadcast your vacation plans using social media. These sites are usually just created to highlight a security concern, but make no mistake, there are people out there who are taking advantage of criminal opportunities appearing through the use of these new services.
Is there a simple way to protect our privacy while still gaining the benefits of location-based services? Tell us your thoughts.
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I like how Foursquare responded to the most recent privacy vs. sharing debate brought on by Please Rob Me: http://foursquare.tumblr.com/post/397625136/on-foursquare-location-privacy
An important consideration is that foursquare “friendships” are two-way, based on mutual agreement, while Twitter is a one-way agreement meaning anyone can follow your feed (as long as it is made public). This imbalance is cause for concern but pushing Foursquare messages to twitter and facebook is always optional.
Ultimately, this is another illustration of how behaviors are changing. Regular examination of privacy policies and conscious cultivation of social graphs remains important as we navigate and build our social presence.
Great points, thanks for the comment. It sounds like it’s the combination of location-based services (like Foursquare) and public feeds (like Twitter) that people have to be cautious of. Location-based services in general are fine as long as people are aware of who they include in those social networks.