France's CNIL Advises on Risks of Geolocation Sharing
Sharing geolocation in real time is becoming increasingly common but carries significant privacy risks, French data protection authority CNIL said Wednesday.
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The practice may seem innocuous, but people's movements reveal a lot about them, such as their habits, interests, acquaintances and sometimes sensitive information like church affiliation or hospital stays, CNIL noted, according to an unofficial translation.
That data can be exploited without someone's knowledge, sometimes maliciously. Downplaying geolocation can lead to "accepting daily surveillance" by family, friends, apps and third parties such as data brokers, the watchdog said.
Even sharing such information with loved ones carries risks, it said. Knowing where someone is at all times may seem reassuring, but "this practice can quickly become intrusive, and even burdensome for the person involved." Stopping it can also be a problem, since telling a loved one to stop the tracking can be perceived as a sign of distrust.
There are alternatives to ensuring kids' safety without resorting to tracking, CNIL said. Parents can set clear guidelines for outings, maintain regular phone contact or strengthen trust and autonomy. With children, as with couples, "location sharing should never become a tool for ongoing control."
CNIL recommended talking about geolocation sharing before allowing it and considering other ways of keeping loved ones safe. Individuals should choose a location-sharing app that doesn't sell personal data and limits sharing with third parties as much as possible.
Activate sharing only when needed -- for example, when meeting someone -- and share only with people you trust, CNIL said. Use temporary or "ghost" modes: Some apps, like Snapchat or Instagram, allow users to hide their location or share it only temporarily.
App users should also check who can see their location regularly, remove unnecessary access to data and erase past trips, the authority recommended. It provided additional advice on how to activate geolocation on various apps.