Army officials warn against geo-tagging in Facebook

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.