Geolocation: Beneficial or Dangerous -
Have you ever wondered how Facebook seems to know the exact city that you view from? Whether you are on a computer, smartphone or other electronic device, it is likely that it has integrated geolocation features. Geolocation is the term for the identification of the exact location of an object, which can be done using a variety of methods such as global positioning, the radio frequency location and Wi-Fi nearby. This technology is what makes turn-by-turn Google Maps possible, even if it has many benefits and uses, geolocation can also have some disadvantages -. Especially regarding your privacy
What are the benefits of geolocation?
the number of people using location-based services has jumped dramatically as technology has become increasingly integrated in almost all functions of the application and the phone we use. To illustrate this, consider a 2010 study by the Pew Research Center, said that 7% of Americans using mobile phones with Internet access use services based on location. Three years later in 2013, a similar study found that this had increased to 74% of adult smartphone users. Like geolocation has become a more important part of our life, he contributed to the development of features that make our lives easier. Here are some of its advantages:
1. Find a lost phone / stolen is a breeze. The geolocation technology enables a lost or stolen phone to locate easily. Whether you are using a built like Apple Find My Friends or have installed a mobile security application with anti-theft features on your phone, almost all mobile phone can be configured to be located where it leaves your hands. Given the high cost of mobile devices and the amount of personal data that we keep on them these days, this is a useful feature to have. Read this article to learn more about the best mobile security applications provide an anti-theft protection.
2. Improving the emergency services and alerts. Not only geolocation allow emergency services to track your location in an emergency, but this technology is also used to create better warnings for storms, events, security and more. For example, the current weather alert system, which is built into most phones, uses GPS to send a warning to the devices in a given area, but it can often be too widespread. People who are not in the wind area until a warning, and because of warnings of not being specific enough, some people choose to ignore them. To fight against these general warnings, the new technology is being developed that would use geolocation to create an alert application that will alert mobile users who are exactly where the danger.
3. You do not have to stop and ask for directions. Well, that's not entirely true - some areas with bad reception or places you need to navigate on foot might require occasional stop. But gone are the days where you had to shoot pores on a paper map or print doubtful MapQuest directions before heading out the door. Applications like Google Maps are getting smarter and smarter, and geolocation technology is what makes them possible. And other applications like Yelp use geolocation to show you what is nearby, which is a great advantage when you walk around an unfamiliar city at lunch time and want a decent burger.
What are the disadvantages of geolocation?
As with many technologies, geolocation can certainly be useful, but it can also be dangerous if users are not careful. Here are some things to know when it comes to geolocation:
1. It jeopardizes your privacy. This is a broad statement, but it is also the most important risk geolocation present to the average user. First of social media applications to photos you take and store in your phone uses geolocation data, and most people tend to breeze right through the screens to inform them when an application requests permission to use location. The best thing you can do is to slow down when installing new applications and pay attention to the permissions screen appears informing you what data or proposes the application will access. mobile security applications, such as that offered by ESET, can be useful when it comes to determining if applications are invading your private life or not. Confidentiality ESET advisor to give you a glimpse of what the permissions of applications on your phone to have, and he even filter by type of authorization so you can see all the applications that track your location a glance.
2. You share your whereabouts without realizing it. Did you know that every photo you take with your phone or mobile device is stored with precise location data of where it was taken? When you download these images to social media sites, photo sharing sites or even dating sites, people who know what to look for can easily determine where you were when you took the pictures - that puts your privacy and safety risk. Fortunately, it is possible to disable geotagging photos and videos on your phone. Depending on the type of phone you have, it is usually a matter of going to be the general location settings on your phone or camera settings.
3. Businesses and government can use it to track your movements. Applications and Web sites you use the collection and tracking of your location data if you enable geotagging, and while most of this information is used for marketing purposes, the ability to be tracked by your mobile device is something that should have all the consumers on alert. Beyond corporations, there is a government oversight risk using geolocation technology that many people are concerned. So concerned, in fact, that in 2011, a bill called Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance Act was introduced to Congress. This law aims to limit government surveillance using geolocation information, and it was recently reintroduced in January 2015. Additional legislation regarding the prevention of the collection of businesses and disclosure of location information without the permission of the user was also introduced in 2014. so far, none of these have been adopted, but if people continue to defend their rights to privacy, there is hope that they will.
Although geolocation certainly has many benefits for companies and citizens everyday, it also presents a host of privacy issues that make using mobile devices more complex than ever. Paying attention to the small print when downloading and using applications, as well as watching the default settings on your phone can help you be more aware of how and when your location data is used so you can take informed decisions about when you agree with its use.
Another way to ensure that geolocation will not invade your privacy is to simply turn the GPS on your phone. This could make it difficult to use certain applications, but you can always reactivate temporarily if you really need. Keep in mind, you may also need to go to the individual application parameters to ensure that the location data is not stored or monitoring even after disabling the GPS on your phone. As already suggested, a good mobile application security can help you be aware of what applications are still using this information.
For more information on Mobile Security, visit our blog about mobile safety or read our Internet security software reviews to see what action the security may be the best solution for you and your family.
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