Facebook’s Live Location raises privacy concerns

Facebook has added a new feature ‘Live Location’ to its Messenger texting app. Although the Live Location is making it easier for your friends and family to know your whereabouts, it is also raising Facebook privacy concerns. The feature allows you to convey your live location to the loved ones for a specific time.

Facebook’s announcement follows Google’s recent launch of location sharing within the G-Maps. Although the location tracking feature is beneficial to help you stay safe, avoid getting lost and find your way to that important meeting on time; being tracked on the go is alarming users with Google and Facebook privacy concerns.

More about Live Location Feature

With the help of Facebook’s Live Location feature, one can share its location in the real time. The new feature can be accessed by tapping the new compass symbol on the Messenger toolbar. It is between the GIF and "more" buttons. With this, you can share your whereabouts with a selected individual as well as an entire group. The selected people can track your location for 60 minutes. So, suppose if you are going for a formal or informal meeting and you are getting late for some reasons, then this feature will allow the other party to know how much time you will take to reach the place.

You can choose a static place on a map

Along with sharing your movements, Live Location feature can likewise be utilized to share a static place on a guide. E.g. an eatery or meeting place. Rather than selecting Share Live Location, you tap the red stick in the upper right corner of the screen area and drag it into the guide.

Live Location and privacy concerns

Cyber-security experts are concerned if the expansion of Live Location to Facebook’s Messenger app will pose privacy concerns of the users. Although Live Location seems a very helpful tool, it opens up users to potential mischief from both a digital and a physical viewpoint. It is also being argued that Facebook may sell the Geo-location data for its own benefit. If your location is viewed by your well-wishers then it’s perfectly alright. But what if your live location is tracked by any hacker? Obviously, this possibility opens up a debate on how safe it is to reveal your live movements on the map.

The Live Location feature is completely optional

Facebook has left all the responsibility of selecting the feature of “Live Location” on its user. That means if a user wishes to show its real-time location to others, then he can select so. However, whenever a user comes across an issue of Facebook privacy concerns, he can anytime stop using the service.

Caught with Facebook privacy concerns? Opt for VPN

Customers have so far been hesitant to let applications reveal their movements and share it with others, nevertheless when the application seeks user permission. Despite the fact that Facebook stresses you're generally in charge, critics of exact location sharing note the element could be seized by hackers to keep an eye on people.

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