Who knows where you have been?
Smartphones have a built-in feature called geolocators that can pinpoint your exact location. This data is often published online through social networking sites, or used by location-based services such as maps, public transport apps, retail services and so on. It can also be embedded in images you take with your smartphone camera.
Sometimes, you might want to think twice before you check in and tell the world where you are.
Know the basics
- Geolocators can be switched off - go into your phone settings and switch off location services on your mobile.
- Checking in from your smartphone, lets people know where you are and what you're doing.
- Checking in allows people to see where you have or haven't been.
- Be aware about how the information might be used by online friends, especially those that you don't know in the real world.
Protect your location
- Turn off the geolocators, unless you are absolutely need to use it.
- Make sure that your location is only visible to friends you know and trust in person.
- Double check your privacy settings, so that if you do share location information, it’s really only available to the people you want it to see it.
- Check that the service doesn’t also show your details to those nearby who you might not know.
- If you have problems while using a service, report it to the service provider.
- If you feel unsafe while you’re at a particular location, contact the police.
- Always remember, if in doubt, don’t check in.
If you want to talk about a problem with location-based services, you can call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800
, or visit their website