Mobile phones and other devices are super intelligent. By default, they know who you are, what you’re interests are, what music you like, where you’re likely to shop, and even where you are located at any given time. That’s a lot of information to trust to anybody, particularly when you’re not really sure what they’re going to do with that information. There are plenty of reasons to limit the information you provide to your carrier. Here are a few important reasons why you should at least consider keeping your location private.
Maintain Your Privacy
Privacy matters are a very personal thing. The key reason why many users choose to turn off location services on their devices is based on their desire to simply maintain their privacy. Information is power in today’s digital age, and mobile phone (and other devices) companies are constantly trying to make sense of all the data their devices collect. While you may not be targeted individually, you can be sure that your demographic and location information is being consolidated, analyzed, and acted on. Companies are making big money off of big data. By turning off your location information, you can ensure they are not profiting off of your unsolicited input.
Save Your Battery
On a more practical level, turning off your location information is a great way to save your battery life. Many different apps have location-based functionality, like checking in with Facebook or Foursquare, or map-based apps like Waze or Pokemon Go. GPS is inarguably very useful, but that doesn’t mean that it needs to be on all the time. Save it (and your battery) for when you need it most.
Protect Your Family
If your child’s device is the one in question, you should certainly consider turning off the location. This is a big deal because many popular apps like Instagram share location information by default. That information can then be accessed and used in ways that may expose your family to harm. Projecting their exact location is risky online behavior and they might not even be aware that they’re doing it. Safety is the most important aspect in controlling your family’s mobile device use. Make sure their privacy settings are set at an appropriate level, and consider turning off their location services full stop.
Protect Your Self
Sadly, mobile device theft is increasingly common and easy enough for criminals to accomplish. What you might not know is that once your phone is in the hands of someone with ill intent, they essentially have access to your location history (known as your location cache). Important locations like where you live, where you work, and where you spend your time are all available to viewers who know where to look.
For more advice on how to protect your privacy and your data, connect with a Happy Faces Records Management representative today.
