Is there A Downside to Geotagging? A closer look at Location and Privacy
Written by Glenn Letham (@gletham)
27 January 2009
The topic of privacy (and security) is a huge one with respect to location-based services… case in point, this article which has been floating around for a week or so now!
It got me thinking.. indeed, with so many GPS-enabled and location-aware devices on the market these days (all the new S60 devices, iPhone, blackberry etc…) and the love of mobile users for sharing their media with the World (flickr, youtube, mosh, jaiku, twitter, facebook, etc…) do mobile device users really have any idea what kind of information they are sharing?? I know myself I’ve shared information on my facebook that I never realized I was sharing - also receive info that I’m sure others aren’t aware that I’m seeing!
Using the previously mentioned article as an example though, are users really informed and aware what they are sharing when they upload and share photos from their cell phones? Geotagging is all the rage and there’s many tools around to help users add geo location to their photos (shozu, locr, zonetag, brightkyte etc…) and there’s numerous ways to embed your location information via social networks like Twitter and facebook (wehereyougonnabe, brighkyte, twitpic, sports tracker, gps twitter, twibble, etc…).
Building on the example in the article, I did my own test the other day as I wandered around Flickr. Browsing a Flickr map in my region I easily viewed recently uploaded photos in my neighborhood - one can also do this on Google Maps viewing Panoramio images. One photo got my attention… it was a shot of 2 young women posing for a portrait. It turns out that it was captured by what seemed to be a pro photographer who had then uploaded the photograph to his own portfolio of work that he keep son flickr. Looking closer I noticed that he had also not only included locations (geotagging) with all his photos, but he also was sharing that information with the World - I wasn’t a contact, friend, or connection of his. With a click of the mouse I could see exactly where he captured the photograph of the two women - the location was a home in a residential neighborhood.Using other online search tools, local search, white pages, reverse geocoding etc… I’m sure I could have also easily determined the names, address and phone number of a girl in the photo… a bit disturbing, right??
So, you have to wonder, was the photographer aware that he was sharing location information via his flickr account? Was he aware that his photos were geo-tagged? Were the women aware that he was sharing the location where the phot was captured - likely a private residence? Geotagging technology is awesome, however, users of web services that take advantage of this information really need to be conscious of their account privacy settings and need to be aware of how to take control of their personal information.
In a timely manner, I also just stumbled onto details of this bill over on OpenCongress titled “Camera Phone Predator Alert Act” which will require mobile phones with cameras to make a sound when capturing a photo!
Top iPhone related GIS and Geo Tech news stories from 2009 - At the end of the year its always interesting for us to look at some of the stats and results to identify trends and more important, to see what our readers think is hot! In the "news" category it seems that iPhone related geo tech items were extremely popular.
Geo Social Location Checkin to Twitter from iPhone - With the cool SXSW event taking place Austin, TX, everyone who's anyone in social and social location seems to have rolled out updates this week, making your choice for how to check-in to your social media bookmarks even tougher to decide on!
10 Awesome GIS and Mapping apps for the iPhone - I recall last year at the ESRI UC when an iPhone was on stage showing a prototype app (think ArcPad on iPhone). It was then that I realized the iPhone platform is going to be BIG in mapping and there's a ton of opportunity for developers.
Nokia Booklet 3G, unboxing video and image gallery... Those of you in the USA who pop in to BestBuy occasionally, you may have seen a stand showing off the Nokia Booklet 3G. A sleek, 3G enabled, SIM slot (AT&T) sporting netbook.
Interesting Tweeple - 10 Geo Technology & Geo-Social Women of Twitter - given the growing love for geospatial and location-aware technologies, I’ve decided to hype 10 women that I feel make a significant contribution to the Geo-Twittersphere. If you’d like to add 10 knowledgeable and useful Twitter contacts to your Geo following list I highly suggest the following: (in no particular order)
10 Geo Social Location-Aware Apps Making Waves... With Twitter's opening of their location API to developers there's going to be a ton of third party apps that will enable Twitter users to share location-aware information via their Twitter accounts.
Signs that indicate you may be a GeoGeek (aka. GeoNerd) and some suggested Geo blogs - Chances are good that if you are a Geo Geek then you already know it and likely refer to yourself as one. However, there’s many of you out there that may be on the fence and wondering… “am I a Geo Geek?" Read on for a comprehensive list of signs you might be a GeoGeek followed up by some suggested Geoblog reading.
Real-time GPS Mapping and GIS Solution Aids Efficient Disaster Management - Saturday, February 7, 2009 will forever be known as Black Saturday in the State of Victoria, Australia. In the midst of a 10-year drought, a record breaking heat wave descended upon the state, with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees C (110-120 deg F), breaking all-time record highs in some cities - Victoria Police Use Trimble Juno SC Handhelds to Speed Assessment of Damage Caused by Bush Fires.
2010 ESRI Federal User Conference February 17-19, 2010, Washington D.C. Walter E. Washington Convention Center - The FedUC is the largest geospatial conference for federal agencies. Connect with other leaders, decision makers, and GIS professionals.
The International LiDAR Mapping Forum 2010 - Tenth Anniversary Event! ILMF 2010 will be held from March 3 - 5, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in Denver at Colorado Convention Center.
The NAVTEQ 2010 Global LBS Challenge Awards Ceremony will be held during Ignite at O'Reilly Where 2.0. Be among the first to hear as NAVTEQ announces the winners for the North America region. Participants will be competing for a global prize pool of $10 million and growing by showcasing pre-commercial location-enabled apps using NAVTEQ map data & products. March 30, 2010, during Ignite Where, 7:30pm - 9:00pm, at the Marriott San Jose, CA
WHERE2.0 2010 - Now in its sixth year, the Where 2.0 Conference is where the grassroots and leading edge developers building location-aware technology intersect with the businesses and entrepreneurs seeking out location apps, platforms, and hardware to gain a competitive edge. For 15% use Discount Code: whr10lbs
See more 
