Being smart and safe about who you share your location with
our location refers to where you are, and devices often track this in the background even when you don’t have internet or reception. These location-based services are found on most smart devices including phones and use technology to pinpoint the location of your device, and therefore you!
What are the risks?
Some apps and social media accounts allow you to share your location with other people – your friends, your family or even strangers, who you only know online. Be very sure you are only sharing your location with people you know offline. Checking in at home tells people when you are home but also where your home is, which can be dangerous. This is the same for checking in at a friend’s house or at school.
Our Advice,
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Use privacy and account settings to manage your location sharing. On mobile devices you can usually turn off location services for all apps within the ‘general settings’ menu.
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If you want to tag a photo or event in a particular location, try and wait until later to do so. That way you’re not sharing your live location.
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Watch out for friends who may accidentally post your location information too, for example by checking in with you or tagging you in a post. If it happens don’t panic- remove the tag or ask them to take it down. You may also be able to use privacy settings to limit or prevent tagging entirely.
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Make sure all linked accounts are only visible to friends you know in real life.
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