You never know who’s looking at your Facebook page. And when that page contains geo-tagged pictures and you’re in the military, you’ve got to be careful says Staff Sgt. Dale Sweetnam, who works in the Army’s online and social media division. The BBC reports: “By posting photos on Facebook or checking-in on social media sites like Foursquare or Gowalla, soldiers may reveal the exact location of their unit or their family, the US Army said in a statement. The release follows an army warning last year that geotag data in photos could tip off criminals.” Sweetnam went on to warn about tracking through Timeline, Facebook’s new, “this is my life” kind of feature. Suppose every Wednesday night, on your way home from work, you check in at Denny’s. Then you go home and check in again. Do that enough weeks in a row and the bad guys get to know your routine.
It’s a good reminder for anyone, military or not, to make sure your privacy settings are up to date. If only your friends can see your activity, then your chances of getting stalked and intruded upon will be greatly reduced.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
