It’s been dubbed as the next big thing by all those who work in social media for the past year and now brands, organisations and individuals are all checking in to the location based social network, Foursquare.
For those who haven’t signed up for it, or haven’t even heard of it, Foursquare is a location-based network that allows you to ‘check-in’ wherever you are, sending an update to your friends. These updates can also be linked to other social networks, like Twitter and Facebook.
It sounds simple enough and provides people with a way to share another aspect of their lives through social media. Instead of a status update, or photo, you now have the freedom to share your whereabouts. It seems that Foursquare users check-in for a variety of reasons; some see it as a game and want to become a mayor of different places, some seem to like showing off about where they’re visiting and some use it as a networking tool.
So, as it has a number of different uses and more than two million users worldwide, it’s no surprise that brands and organisations are realising the potential of Foursquare as a marketing tool. Already, brands from MTV to Jimmy Choo have launched marketing campaigns and sponsorship deals with the network.
But what are the implications of individuals effectively sharing their location with the rest of the world?
Mainstream media is obsessed with the fact that Foursquare could lead to people being stalked by strangers and those in social media and digital circles are forever writing about the marketing potential that it could unlock. It seems that no matter whether a brand or a stranger is trying to find out where you are, there’s a serious issue of privacy.
As soon as people I knew began checking into their home addresses - and everywhere else for that matter - I watched as others online jokingly told them to beware of stalkers. I knew it was common sense to not share that much, but didn’t really think that anything sinister could actually happen, but I came across the blog post The night I was cyberstalked on Foursquare on the Guardian website last week and realised that some people are actually watching – or reading – every move you make.
Although a little less scary, by updating your location you’re also opening the floodgates to a mass of marketing everywhere you go. There are certainly some benefits to this kind of activity, for instance, if you’re in an overpriced bar and suddenly you’re told by Foursquare that you can get a free cocktail. But marketers can use your location updates to build up a profile of you just by places you visit, meaning that even more of your personal information is becoming a commodity.
I think sharing your location via Foursquare or other location-based social networks that are coming very soon - such as Facebook Location - could certainly become a privacy problem. Sharing is beneficial in so many ways, but sharing everything opens the potential for people to be taken advantage of.
Many would argue that it’s not a problem if you just use your common sense. If you don’t sync your updates with Twitter, check-in everywhere you go, or share your home address, then there shouldn’t be a big privacy issue. But, my main concern is that what may seem common sense to one person would never cross the mind of another, especially someone who is trying out social networking for the first time. I believe that as these networks become more popular, the risk of such limitless sharing will become more dangerous.
Image via rpongsaj's flickr