Cybersecurity experts at VPNOverview are urging users of meta apps to turn off their precise location NOW to avoid any possible security risks!
After @lifeofjazz__ posted on TikTok and received over 194k views, that Instagram is being used as a tool to find people and rob them of prized possessions, searches for ‘how to remove your location on Instagram’ have been up 58% in the last week!
The precise location tab can be found in your settings. If you click on Instagram, the following page will appear. As you can see below, in this case the precise location setting is on – it clarifies it allows apps to use your specific location.
*Screenshot taken from IPhone
Receiving over 194k views already on TikTok, cybersecurity experts at VPNOverview are urging users of meta apps to turn off their precise location NOW to avoid any possible security risks!
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Christopher Bluvshtein, Cybersecurity expert, at VPNOverview said:
“This is indeed a concern, and you should be aware that this location setting is shared among all apps in Meta’s portfolio: Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp all allow Precise Location sharing.
The fact that people are unaware of this setting is concerning, as it’s also the same settings menu where you choose how and when the apps can access your location.
Apple has gotten stricter on location sharing recently, but if you’ve selected or defaulted to “Always” allow location sharing, then these settings combined could give away your exact location to anyone with enough technical know-how who has motivation to pursue you.
With regards to why this is terrible news for users who expose their location, if it affects your children, it could invite unwanted attention from online strangers.
For those coupling holiday snaps with your exact location tells offline criminals that it’s the ideal time to break into your home without fear of interruption.
It poses an extreme risk for anyone sharing their location, though popular influencers with thousands or millions of followers in particular, it could attract unwanted attention in the form of stalkers.
However – and it appears worth mentioning, given peoples’ surprise at this discovery – your IP address is essentially doing the same thing, round the clock. If you aren’t connected to a VPN, anyone with sufficient technical knowledge and motivation could track your location. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) obfuscates (hides) your IP address, relaying your connection through the VPN server instead.”
