Facebook "Nearby Friends" Lets People Track Your Precise Location

[Muspelheim]

I dread to think what Google's response is going to be. Presumably, it won't be opt-in. Or opt-out, why would someone not like such a feature? Unless they have something to hide!

 

[Glaice]

I would rather have a "Fuzzy" location option on rather than precise, not to mention I don't leave FB on all the time on my phone, usually to post a small blurb and/or photo.

 

[Riverwolf]

You know Police forces can take out a warrant or court order to track someone's phone via the GPS? As in a legal document that is overseen by the courts and open to scrutiny and controls. These powers of observation already exist. Since the 1990s they've been using triangulation, GPS just makes it simpler.

Yes, I know; there's a whole 9-season show about it (X-Files). Hence why I said:

All those positives have existing technologies and techniques that are effective and still be respectful of privacy.

Intrusive services like this or double secret mass surveillance is simply unnecessary for criminal cases. The power to tack someone by every available means is already possible within due process and with a level of accountability. These powers i agree with because they have legal oversight and have to have some degree of targeting and evidence to prove the necessity of their use.

I'm a big proponent of personal privacy. I'm also a big believer in due process of law. I don't want them watching over my shoulder all the time, but if they can obtain a warrant to search though my computer files, internet/search history, emails, chat logs, etc; then they can feel free because they obtained the right to do so through proper legal procedures, which were designed to protect the rights of individuals like me, because they had evidence pointing to me being actively engaged in some criminal activity.

Privacy isn't about disappearing off the face of the Earth when the federal government is actively tracking you. All it means is having a place you can go to where nobody can see you unless you allow them in(or have the aforementioned warrant).

 

[Jacco]

Everyone here acting like this is something new needs to get a grip. Do you have any idea how much tracking of you goes on each day? It's not just the NSA or Facebook. It's EVERYTHING. Your phone broadcasts your every whereabout to Google. Anytime you log into a public wifi network, the websites you visit get your location and your computer ID and log everything you do. Anytime you pass a traffic camera, your license plate is recorded. Hell, even going into 7/11 for a candy bar puts you on the radar because they have security cameras in there. Facebook and Twitter note everything you "like" and say. Mention Cheerios casually in a status update? Now you're on their radar as a potential consumer for General Mills.

My point is that people are stupid if they think Facebook is somehow doing something uniquely bad by offering this feature. Yes, they likely want it for more targeted ad revenue, but they don't need it. All of the information they will gather from it is already available via other means by other companies.

And it's not even like they are invading our privacy. They aren't sending people into our homes to look through our things. They are simply noting where you go in public, which is by definition not invasion of privacy because you are IN PUBLIC. People need to stop this fear mongering about "no privacy." It's ridiculous and the people doing it don't actually understand what they are saying.

 

[Riverwolf]

Getting a bit more on topic, potentially leaky services like this really have no function other than to make the circumventing of due process more easy.

I think digital information should be subject to the same the laws we have that govern physical privacy (e.g. a document). The NSA collecting all this data because they can is like them justifying taking documents from my house because they have easy, convenient ways to break into it. I also think people who openly and freely share too much information are stupid. I remember people logging into four square and announcing publicly over all available social networks you were leaving the house all day leading to the "Please rob me" awareness site.

I also think the same controls that govern physical goods should govern digital ones but that's a different topic. The sum up; the law is there for a reason. The government needs to learn to work within it. "But It's really easy and tempting to break" is an attitude belonging to criminals.

In other words, we're both in 100% agreement.

Everyone here acting like this is something new needs to get a grip. Do you have any idea how much tracking of you goes on each day? It's not just the NSA or Facebook. It's EVERYTHING. Your phone broadcasts your every whereabout to Google. Anytime you log into a public wifi network, the websites you visit get your location and your computer ID and log everything you do. Anytime you pass a traffic camera, your license plate is recorded. Hell, even going into 7/11 for a candy bar puts you on the radar because they have security cameras in there. Facebook and Twitter note everything you "like" and say. Mention Cheerios casually in a status update? Now you're on their radar as a potential consumer for General Mills.

Might want to make sure there's some qualifiers for that statement. I don't have a smartphone of any kind(and when I do get one, an alternative, non-Google operating system is going on it), I don't generally use public wifi unless I'm at the library or at school, I have Firefox addons that help prevent online tracking(and though I hardly ever use it, I do have TOR available if I wanted some extra security for some reason; I will also admit that those addons aren't 100%), I'm perfectly okay with traffic cameras though I don't drive myself(a saying of mine is: Big Brother, stay out of my life, but feel free to watch the roads), and anyway public security cameras and being put "on the radar" like that are perfectly fine and not invasions of privacy at all. I don't have Facebook OR Twitter, and never will have personally. Before an ad starts playing, I mute the computer and scroll the screen to the bottom, so the only thing I can see is "You're video will continue in...". If a banner ad has sounds or videos (a terribly mortal sin as far as I'm concerned), I mute the computer and reload the page until it goes away.

I also don't use Google; I use StartPage for my searches. Once StartMail comes out and I can get some income, I'll be using that for personal email. Cellphones can be tracked, yes, but by the government, and there's ways to circumvent that (i.e., turn it off and remove the battery; that can be done on a modern smartphone, too, if you're okay with voiding the warranty and/or potentially breaking it.)

And as for your computer IP, that can only do so much. I'm a moderator on another forum, and we do record the source IPs of individual posts. Last I looked, the free online tools available to the public can only sort of pinpoint what town you might live in or near, with a huge margin for error.

Privacy has nothing to do with being "off the radar at all times." It effectively just means being able to use the bathroom without cameras watching you.

 

[FalloutJack]

Well now... All these things that I don't bother ever using are combining into one big superfreak and looking a little creepy. Once again...glad I don't go in for this kind of stuff.

 

[Strazdas]

"If you want to know where I am, call me and ask. If I'm willing to tell you at that time I will.

"I will be at this place *points to map* in an hour. If you want to find me again, meet me there."

Either call me and ask or wait.

Because calling is both more time consuming and more expensive it is the worse option. It also leaves you the ability to lie.

Because that can always be organized. riiiight. a 15 minute phone conversation trying to locate eachother is a worse option than looking at the map on your phone and realizing you got to go north 500 meters.

I have nothing to do but sit around and wait for an hour because you may or may not come.

"Hey, Jason. Where are you?"
"I'm at the marina."
"Great! I'll meet you by the churro cart."

How is this technology supposed to make that ^^^ any easier?

where the beep is churro cart. oh, right, according to this map its 100 meters northwest.

That's for specific locations, general area is still to everyone and you can bet that info will be 'available' for 'people or companies of interest' in the near future.

Fair enough. they need to have option to chose that. i like options.

Seriously, who is so dependent on knowing every little thing about their friends that this app would be a good thing?

overly attached girlfriend me.

Cellphones can be tracked, yes, but by the government, and there's ways to circumvent that (i.e., turn it off and remove the battery; that can be done on a modern smartphone, too, if you're okay with voiding the warranty and/or potentially breaking it.)

turning off the phone or removing the battery does not in any way void the warranty or break your smartphone. in fact you MUST do it in order to put in your SIM card to begin with.

 

[The White Hunter]

Well ain't that a new level of creepy. Good job facebook, you'll make stalking even easier! Truly they are the paragons of progress and privacy. Yes yes a person can disable the stupid thing, but the creepy intentions are still there.

Until it becomes "normal" and you can't disable it in six months.

Surely by now they've learned the insidious google-ification method of gradually forcing bullshit down peoples throats.

 

[Flames66]

"If you want to know where I am, call me and ask. If I'm willing to tell you at that time I will.

Because calling is both more time consuming and more expensive it is the worse option. It also leaves you the ability to lie.

Exactly. My point is If I want you to know where I am I will tell you, if I don't you do not have any other way to find out. Also calling is much cheaper as I would have to have my jellybone connected to the internet constantly for this "service" to work, costing me money.

"I will be at this place *points to map* in an hour. If you want to find me again, meet me there."

Because that can always be organized. riiiight. a 15 minute phone conversation trying to locate eachother is a worse option than looking at the map on your phone and realizing you got to go north 500 meters.

I'm confused about how "I'm by the big tower north of the river" would take 15 minutes, but I'm not trying to debate what is more efficient. This is about privacy, not speed.

Either call me and ask or wait.

I have nothing to do but sit around and wait for an hour because you may or may not come.

If I say I'm going to be somewhere, I will be there. If I can't make it I will call you.

 

[Strazdas]

Exactly. My point is If I want you to know where I am I will tell you, if I don't you do not have any other way to find out. Also calling is much cheaper as I would have to have my jellybone connected to the internet constantly for this "service" to work, costing me money.

but i must know whether you are lieing or not. because im like that.

I'm confused about how "I'm by the big tower north of the river" would take 15 minutes, but I'm not trying to debate what is more efficient. This is about privacy, not speed.

Lstim time "im by the bears" in a zoo turned into a 15 minute chase through the whole park.

If I say I'm going to be somewhere, I will be there. If I can't make it I will call you.

Your better than most.

Except "churro cart" is a code-word used to throw off the NSA.

shouldnt ahve been using yourp hone to begin then. they can triangulate.

 

[Blow_Pop]

Makes me wonder why people were surprised about the NSA stuff.

Facebook and other social media has been far, far more creepy for way longer. At least the NSA doesn't make that information available to the public.

P.S. Not defending them; they're assholes too.

Not only that, but it seems to me that if you have a desire to let everyone know that you are close by..... How narcissistic can you be?

I am very narcissistic thank you. That's why I use foursquare. Though, that said, I refuse to ever use this whilst I have the option because there are people I really DON'T want knowing where I am at any given time. Which is why my foursquare information posts only to specific friends and not everyone. (Also, I have to keep my library mayorship because reasons).

But facebook is creepy enough this doesn't need to be a feature.

And since facebook's ads seem to think that I want to be married I don't see how enabling this will help any. I get those and the half naked women gaming ad things for the stupid browser games.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Because calling up your friends and simply asking where they are is too much work apparently.

 

[symphonymarie]

I can only see this being useful when I'm lost and trying to find the person I'm meeting up with, but honestly, so far, a phone call has worked JUST FINE FOR THAT. I was so weirded out by how many of my friends had this feature activated - Is it doing so automatically?! EIther way, yikes, no thanks, gross. I feel like this might be the inevitable future but I'd like to stall that for as long as possible. Maybe this is how the luddites felt?

 

[Flames66]

I can only see this being useful when I'm lost and trying to find the person I'm meeting up with, but honestly, so far, a phone call has worked JUST FINE FOR THAT. I was so weirded out by how many of my friends had this feature activated - Is it doing so automatically?! EIther way, yikes, no thanks, gross. I feel like this might be the inevitable future but I'd like to stall that for as long as possible. Maybe this is how the luddites felt?

I can see a potential future where everyone uses this or something similar. It becomes so common that those in control are able to make it mandatory with little fuss, finally achieving their goal of constant monitoring. With facebook and similar "services", constantly being watched, logged, followed and registered has become the in thing. I will never use it myself and hope a majority can form against it quickly.

`¬"Privacy"¬ ¬"Internet is expensive"¬

but i must know whether you are lieing or not. because im like that.

I don't know how to write this without coming across a little offensively, for which I apologise. If someone was prying into my business to the point of spying on me, I would cut off contact with them. I consider finding out more information about me than I voluntarily offer to be spying and grounds for ending a friendship. If I was in a relationship with someone and discovered they had been spying on me, they would be immediately binned.

¬"Privacy over speed"¬

Lstim time "im by the bears" in a zoo turned into a 15 minute chase through the whole park.

I would think that would be half the fun of the trip.

If I say I'm going to be somewhere, I will be there. If I can't make it I will call you.

Your better than most.

I don't have an answer for this other than if the people you hang with are unreliable, maybe better friends are the answer.

Except "churro cart" is a code-word used to throw off the NSA.

shouldnt ahve been using yourp hone to begin then. they can triangulate.

If I was that worried about being tracked (which I might be in the future), there are other things I can do to make it difficult.

 

[Strazdas]

but i must know whether you are lieing or not. because im like that.

I don't know how to write this without coming across a little offensively, for which I apologise. If someone was prying into my business to the point of spying on me, I would cut off contact with them. I consider finding out more information about me than I voluntarily offer to be spying and grounds for ending a friendship. If I was in a relationship with someone and discovered they had been spying on me, they would be immediately binned.


I would think that would be half the fun of the trip.

i write that half jokingly. im not going to go and spy on friends, but when im waiting for somone i end up looking around hoping to notice him because i got the urge to know where exactly he is. its borderline psychological disorder probably.

No, its not fun to run around trying to find your family that is lost.