Geotags are inserted into the
picture and are embedded data that become easily accessible on the Internet
once a picture is posted (www.fishnetsecurity.com). Once posted, important pieces of information
also become available along with the image, like the date and time the photo
was taken and the exact location (within a few feet) (www.fishnetsecurity.com). As scary as this may be for anyone, it may be
particularly disconcerting when children are involved.
Instagram is a popular new media
site where children and young adults use their real names and post pictures of
themselves and their friends, totally unaware that Instagram creates a “photo
map” that can show anyone their exact location through where each photo was
taken. It is important for parents and
children to be aware of this, so they can turn the photo map off and avoid any
potentially harmful situations. With
Instagram, parents can take it a step further in protecting their children by
making their child’s account totally private.
In this way, the account can only be viewed by those whom their child is
friends with, and anyone who follows their child needs to be approved prior to
gaining access to their child’s pictures and posts. Facebook is another new media site that also
started using photo mapping when they updated the Timeline feature, creating a
map of geotagged places.
Furthermore, pictures that parents
take while they are out with their children (for example, at the park) are also
geotagged and can give criminals their location, daily patterns, or even inform
others of when they are out of the home.
The only way to ensure this embedded information does not get posted
with pictures on new media sites is to follow the directions of the cell
phone’s manufacturer to turn that feature off (Apple, Samsung, Windows, etc.)
since each “settings” is slightly different and requires specific steps (see “Links
for popular cell phones in changing geotag settings” at the end of this post).
The aforementioned concerns with
geotagging, photo mapping, and new media may seem like precautionary tales;
however, it has been proven extremely detrimental in the case of a few members
of the United States military while on active duty. In 2007, four United States Army helicopters
were taken out by Iraqis after the US soldiers posted their pictures on the
Internet (http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17311702). Staff Sargent Dale Sweetnam, the head of the
Online and Social Media Division, stressed that soldiers need to think before
they post and ask themselves “Who really needs to know this location
information?” (http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17311702). For example, the Timeline feature on Facebook
can further reveal the routes and patterns of soldiers to terrorists, hackers,
etc. (http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17311702). A preventative measure that the British Army
took against the dangers that geotagging and photo mapping create was to ban
the use of all cell phones while in “operational zones” and warned soldiers
about the dangers of taking pictures on smartphones in any situation (http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17311702).
Smart phones are getting smarter so
to speak, with the continuing evolution of the Android systems and iOS. New media is continuing to expand, with
children gaining access to various sites at younger and younger ages. Due to these reasons, I do not foresee a
typical solution to this problem. In
other words, it is not going away any time soon. So, the other alternative is to increase one’s
awareness and to simplify the settings on phones and devices that track and tag
through pictures and GPS. For example,
when someone purchases a new phone and starts to go through the motions of
setting it up, informational boxes pop up to help lead the person through the
setup of the new device. I think that
all phones should have an informational box that pops up when a photo is taken,
making them aware that location information is on and giving them the option to
disable it from the beginning.
Personally, I have a Samsung Galaxy 4 and this text box popped up the
very first time I took a picture. It
stated that the location where I took the picture along with the weather for
that day will be embedded with the photo and that I can choose to disable this
feature now (if I ever change my mind, it explained that I can go into “settings”
to enable the location for my pictures); however, I know that not all phones
make it this simple. Or, some people may
not fully realize what this means and unwittingly enable the location to be
transmitted through every single picture they take.
I have included a few links to help
people locate this setting in their phone and to disable it. Having peace of mind and protecting your
children and your loved ones are a lot more important than announcing to the world
your exact location. In this day and
age, being aware of photo mapping, geotagging, and how new media sites enable
the GPS on your phone to determine your exact location are things that should not
be taken for granted. It is better to be
proactive before something frightening or horrible happens.
Links for Popular Cell Phones in
Changing Geotag Settings:
The
above links include instructions for various models of the iPhone, iPod,
Blackberry, Android, and Samsung.
Sources
used in the writing of this post:
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17311702.
US Army: Geotagged Facebook posts put
soldiers’ lives at risk. March 9, 2012.
Web. Accessed April 20, 2014.
https://www.fishnetsecurity.com/6labs/blog/what-geo-tagging-securing-yourself-your-family-and-your-assets.
What is geo-tagging? Securing yourself,
your family and your assets. Web. Accessed April 20, 2014.
http://gcn.com/articles/2012/12/10/how-to-disable-smart-phone-geotagging-feature.aspx. How to disable geotagging feature on smart phone. Web. Accessed April 20, 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjSoawiupE0.How to disable geotagging from your iPhone's pictures. Video. Accessed April 21, 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXPX-5Y8V0E. Geotagging settings for Androids. Video. Accessed April 21, 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZiuXXGYMvg. Disable geotagging on iPhone. Video. Accessed April 21, 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dngFdFEskiI. How to turn of geotagging. Video. Accessed April 21, 2014.
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