Marketplace®

Daily business news and economic stories

Army officials warn against geo-tagging in Facebook

This is a Marketplace.org Reader


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.

Latest Episodes

View All Shows
  • Marketplace
    a day ago
    26:08
  • Make Me Smart
    a day ago
    27:42
  • Marketplace Morning Report
    a day ago
    7:08
  • Marketplace Tech
    2 days ago
    11:03
  • This Is Uncomfortable
    5 days ago
    56:05
  • Million Bazillion
    a month ago
    32:45