How geotagging photos can be dangerous

BERLIN: It's a rare smartphone that doesn't come with a GPS sensor these days. That function means photos shot with those mobiles will be tagged with information about the exact place where the picture was taken. But if one puts those photos online, it's easy to accidentally reveal a lot more information than was ever intended.
It's enough to incite fear. You take a picture in your yard, post it online and, next thing you know, everyone knows your exact street address. Thus, a useful function for sorting photos by the place they were taken becomes more intrusive than ever intended.
Of course, the worst case scenario is fairly rare. And it only takes some simple resetting of preferences to make sure it never has to happen. That's because, for the geodata to actually make it online, a series of events must occur.
For starters, the smartphone has to be able to register the geographical details for a photo setting. It's possible to turn off the sensor for that function, although sometimes only for the camera. Anyone who shuts off the function can pretty quickly stop worrying about any data security issues.
Of course, it has the downside that turning off the GPS renders a host of other apps useless, especially map services that are only useful if the user's location can be pinpointed.
If a person wants smartphone photos to come with a location tagging service, pay attention. Whether the information will be included depends on whether the photo is taken with the standard camera app or a separate programme loaded onto the smartphone. Some of those programmes store no data. In others, it's possible to turn the location tagging service on and off.
It also depends to which online service one uploads the photos to, since each of these have their own rules and settings for geodata. Facebook, as a rule, only publishes pictures without geodata, says a spokeswoman.
The location information isn't even saved in the background. Of course, there's no way to tell if this policy might change. Facebook does offer the option of linking a photo to a place, even if it is slightly complicated. Users can link a photo to the location notification in Facebook. But this is only a temporary link, since the check-ins disappear after a few hours.
The photo will remain in one's Facebook album, but with no reference to the site where it was taken. Things are different at the photo platform Flickr. Here, great efforts are made to link photos to a particular site, even displaying them on a world map with red dots providing a precise location.
But this doesn't happen automatically. Publication of the location must be specifically approved by the user. The popular TwitPic has a similar service, which allows pictures to automatically appear on Twitter. Important to remember here: make a note if you ever grant permission, especially if your next picture is taken in front of your house.
There's also the danger that background apps send location data to their developers, sometimes for dubious reasons. Despite the best efforts of app stores, many programmes do contain these spy functions.
The Wall Street Journal reported recently that 56 of 101 popular apps for the iPhone and Android mobiles transmit information without first seeking permission. Location information was one of the kinds of data that was frequently shared.
(DPA)