Sharing your live location on Facebook can be useful for letting friends and family know where you are in real time. However, it also raises some privacy concerns. In this article, we’ll look at how live location sharing works on Facebook, when you may want to use it, the privacy settings involved, and some best practices for sharing your location safely.
How does live location sharing work on Facebook?
Facebook introduced the ability to share your live location in 2017. Here’s how it works:
- Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or Android device and tap on “What’s on your mind?” to create a new post.
- Tap on “Check in” and then on “Share Live Location.”
- Select how long you want to share your live location – either 15 minutes, 1 hour or until you turn it off.
- Tap “Share Live Location” and your real-time location will be shared in the post.
As your location updates, a map will show your current location in the Facebook post. Friends will be able to click on the post to open a map showing where you are.
Who can see your live location?
Your live location will be visible to all of your Facebook friends by default. You can edit the audience before sharing to limit visibility. For example, you can share your live location with just your close friends list if you want.
How is your location data used?
When you share your live location, Facebook uses GPS and other signals from your mobile device to track your real-time location. This location data is then plotted on a map that updates as you move.
Facebook states that they only use your location data to provide and improve their services. The company claims they do not sell your location data to third parties.
When would you want to use live location sharing?
Here are some situations when sharing your real-time location on Facebook can be useful:
Meeting up with friends
Let your friends know where you are so they can find you easily when meeting up. For example, share your location when you’re at a crowded bar or festival.
During travel
Share your location with family and friends when you’re traveling, so they can keep track of you along the way. This can give loved ones peace of mind.
During emergencies
Share your live location with your emergency contacts during dangerous situations like natural disasters, accidents or crimes.
During events
At concerts, sports events or protests, sharing your live location can help friends locate you.
On dates
People sometimes share their location with a friend when meeting a first date, for safety reasons.
Daily connections
Some people enjoy sharing their location periodically with close friends or a significant other just to feel connected throughout the day.
Privacy concerns with live location
While live location sharing can be useful, there are some privacy risks to consider:
- Location data reveals personal habits – Your location history can reveal where you live, work, go out, who you visit, etc. Not everyone wants to share that.
- Risk of stalking/harassment – Sharing your real-time location makes you vulnerable to unwanted attention or harassment from strangers, acquaintances or even friends on Facebook.
- Location tracking – Facebook uses your location data for advertising purposes and location history logging, even when you’re not actively sharing your live location.
- Data breaches – No digital location data is 100% secure from hacking or breaches. Facebook has experienced breaches in the past.
Facebook privacy settings
You do have some control over location privacy settings on Facebook:
- Select audience for each live location share
- Turn off location history logging in your Facebook account settings
- Restrict background location access for Facebook app in your device settings
However, Facebook’s default settings make sharing and tracking location easier and more social. You have to be proactive about restricting access and use if you have privacy concerns.
Best practices for sharing live location
If you do choose to use Facebook’s live location sharing feature, here are some tips to stay safer and protect your privacy:
- Only share temporarily for specific events – Don’t leave it on all the time.
- Restrict your audience as much as possible.
- Avoid sharing your home location repeatedly.
- Stop sharing if you notice any harassment or unwanted messages related to your location.
- Use alternative communication methods to share permanent addresses or other private location details.
- Turn off Facebook’s location history option in your account settings.
Being thoughtful about what aspects of your location you share, and who you share with, can help minimize privacy and safety risks.
The pros and cons of sharing live location on Facebook
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Let friends and family know where you are in real time | Location data can reveal personal habits and details about your life |
| Find each other easily when meeting up | Increases risk of stalking or harassment from strangers or acquaintances |
| Peace of mind for loved ones when traveling | Facebook tracks and logs your location data for advertising and profiling |
| Helpful in emergencies or dangerous situations | Vulnerable to data breaches of sensitive location information |
| Stay connected with friends throughout the day | Battery drain and data usage on your mobile device |
The convenience vs. privacy dilemma
Like many social media location features, Facebook’s live location sharing presents a tradeoff between convenience and privacy. It can be helpful in many situations, but also carries risks like stalking, profiling and data insecurity.
Users must weigh these pros and cons carefully when deciding whether to utilize live location sharing, and how often. There are steps you can take to still benefit from the feature while reducing privacy risks. But ultimately it requires sacrificing some privacy for convenience.
Conclusion
Facebook’s live location sharing feature allows you to broadcast your real-time location to friends and family directly from the Facebook app. It can be helpful for coordinating meetups, keeping track of loved ones on the go, and staying connected.
However, sharing live location also inevitably exposes your location data with tradeoffs for your privacy and safety. Location information could be exploited to target ads, build profiles or enable harassment. Facebook’s privacy settings provide some control, but not full protection.
In the end, each person needs to evaluate their own priorities and comfort level with providing access to their location. Live location can be used selectively in a thoughtful way, but it’s always important to be mindful of the inherent privacy risks when sharing your personal data.