How Much Tracking is Too Much?

In society today, there seems to be a direct relationship between technological advancements and invasion of privacy. Every year, there are new smartphones being launched into the market, and each one seems to be more complex than the next. Each with more features, better operating systems, and so on. With that, mainstream apps are constantly being updated with the latest software and features to appeal to the users. In the United States, an estimated 223 million people own a smartphone, which has tracking capabilities. Of those 223 million, an estimated 90 million people own an iPhone. Here are a few apps to be weary of if you want to stay off the grid.

Snapchat (SnapMaps)

If you ask anyone under the age of 30, there’s a good chance that they have snapchat and use it every day. To many, snapchat seems like a great way to interact with friends, but there is a hidden and scary secret about it. There is a feature called Snap Map which allows you to share your location with your friends. Your bitmoji appears on a geographical map and shows exactly where you are, all the way down to the street you are on. If you’re sleeping, your bitmoji takes on the animation of sleeping. If you’re driving, your bitmoji will be moving along with you. While some people appreciate how advanced this technology is, many feel as if this is an extreme violation of privacy. If you want your friends to know your every move by watching your cute looking bitmoji, keep this feature on! But if not, here’s how to turn Snap Map off.

Find My Friends (Apple iPhone)

This app is exclusive to Apple and allows you to request the location of your family and friends and track them at all times, assuming they allow you. Even more intense than Snap Maps, Find My Friends uses Google Maps to track locations, and you are even able to use the satellite view on the map to see the exact location and building they are in. Useful? Yes, this app can definitely be useful for keeping tabs on your family and friends when they go out, or finding someone when they are lost and need to be picked up. Rather than asking for an address or directions, you can simply click, “Directions to Location” and get there in a breeze.

However, Find My Friends can also be an extreme violation of privacy. Think about it – people can track your every move 24/7 and know exactly where you are. Being monitored definitely is not ideal and allows people to become obsessive. However, it can make your privacy feel violated if you are aware of people avidly tracking you. Click here to learn more about what you can do with Find My Friends!