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These are the symbols used by Android and Apples devices for location services. They are used to indicate when a device is actively calculating its current location.
This can be done in a number of ways but most commonly uses GPS (global positioning system) to pinpoint the location of the device, and therefore its owner.
GPS uses satellites to provide location information to the receiver in the device. It does not require data or phone reception as it operates separately from these systems, however devices now will often use a combination of GPS, internet and telephone systems to provide geolocation information, which can then be shared through a variety of services.
How is that information used?
Geolocation information is used in lots of different ways, by both a device’s operating system and by other apps that may be installed.
Some services enable users to check into a specific location (for example on social media), others log movements in real time (mapping services and some games) and lots of services will use a device’s location to try and provide you with more relevant information.
For example, if you search the name of a chain of shops online, the internet browser may use geolocation information to identify which branches of that shop are closest to you and will then show you these at the top of the first page of search results.
What are the risks?
Some services allow users to share geolocation information with other people – friends, family, or even strangers. For adults and young people alike, it’s important to ask: do I really want to broadcast this information to everyone?
For example logging in at home not only tells people when you are at home but also tells people where your home is. The same rules apply for your friend’s houses and school – if you wouldn’t want to put yourself at risk by broadcasting your personal address then why would you do it to your friends?
For young people in particular, even if they’re not sharing a location which is important to them, there are always risks involved with sharing their live location at a given time, especially if that information is visible to strangers.
Finally checking in regularly from the same locations can develop patterns and lead to people building up an accurate picture of someone’s movements, which could also lead to safety concerns.
What settings are there to help?
There are two ways to manage who or what is accessing location information:
- At a device level
- Through individual apps
How can I teach young people about location services?
The most useful way to educate young people about location services is to consider it as part of ‘personal information’. Young people are often aware of other things which constitute their personal information (full name, school, home address, telephone number, passwords, etc.) and the risks of sharing these online, however they may not have considered their location as part of this.
By identifying location as an item of personal information, you can then start to open up discussion as to how this could be shared online – for example through social media, through pictures, by a friend, and so on.
It is always useful to signpost young people to information about privacy settings and you may also like to share our Hot Topic on Location Services for 11-18 year olds.
Location Services and Professional Reputation
When working with young people it’s important to remember that your use of location services could impact both your and their safety, in addition to your own professional reputation.
For example, avoid sharing your location information on social media if you are at work – you’re also sharing the location of the young people you work with. If you’re on a school trip or visit, it might seem fun to use social media to ‘check in’ at the venue but consider:
- Is it advisable to share the live location of all the young people you’re working with?
- How would parents respond if they saw evidence you’d been online when you were responsible for supervising their children?
Even when not accompanying young people, consider how the locations you share on social media could impact your professional reputation. Even if you are using privacy settings to protect the information that you share, there is always a risk that information could get out and be shared further. If you wouldn’t be happy for the young people you work with and their parents to see you in person at a particular location, then it’s probably best not to share that location online.