Experts emphasize that sharing geolocation poses a serious risk, especially for young people who may lack digital security habits. This makes their openness to cyber threats particularly dangerous.
- What risks arise when teenagers share their geolocation with others? - The main threat is that location information is considered very sensitive. Here are the main potential threats:
- Stalking and harassment. Even close friends can use location data to monitor: tracking the whereabouts of the teenager and their companions.
- Social engineering. Fraudsters can use location information to gain trust in their schemes. This can also threaten the safety of the teenager's family. Such methods have already been used by various fraudsters, including a group known as "Blue Whale."
- Threat to physical safety. If an attacker knows that a teenager often visits a certain place or spends time alone, it can lead to assault or blackmail. This data can be provided by acquaintances who have access to geolocation.
- Bullying and pressure. Geolocation can become a tool for bullying in the school environment: "we know where you are." Attackers can use route data and vulnerable time intervals to intimidate teenagers.
- Formation of a digital profile. Regular location points create a kind of map of the teenager's life: home, school, clubs. This can provide opportunities for stalking, blackmail, and even theft when it becomes clear that the teenager is not at home.
However, posting geolocation on social media poses the highest risk, as the information becomes virtually uncontrollable and accessible to anyone who wants it.This can be compared to three levels of risk:
- Sharing with a close friend - low to medium risk (but the risk exists). If the level of trust is high and access is time-limited, it is relatively safe, although sharing geolocation even in this case is undesirable.
- Group chat - medium to high risk. There may be acquaintances present, and it is impossible to control who will take a screenshot or pass the information further.
- Posting geolocation on social media - maximum risk. In this case, the data becomes available not only to friends but also to strangers, fraudsters, and potential attackers.
Public geolocation is the most dangerous scenario.- How safe are geolocation features in popular messengers and social media? - In general, built-in geolocation features in messengers and social media should not be considered safe. Their vulnerabilities can be exploited through leaks, employee actions, and human factors. Some platforms collect location data even when the "geo" feature is turned off.
- Can shared geolocation be used by third parties without the teenager's knowledge? - Yes, third parties can take advantage of geolocation without the teenager's knowledge through account hacking, device theft, data forwarding, or information leaks.
- What digital habits increase risks? - Particularly dangerous habits include public profiles, weak privacy settings, lack of two-factor authentication, using the same passwords, having one number/account for everything, and constant background geolocation. Many teenagers lack attention to privacy settings, which can lead to unwanted disclosure of personal information.
Using the same password across different platforms makes all accounts vulnerable if one of them is hacked.Trusting "internet friends" does not guarantee safety. Teenagers often reveal personal information too quickly while building online friendships.
Long-term sharing of geolocation is the riskiest decision. It is most dangerous to share location constantly, rather than just for a short time.Although sharing geolocation can be dangerous, follow these rules when necessary:
- share only with close friends;
- for a limited time;
- do not post on open social media;
- check account privacy settings;
- use two-factor authentication (2FA).
Geodata can be used in both digital and physical attacks.
