Meeting up with strangers has become increasingly common due to online dating, social networking, and other forms of virtual interaction. However, concerns about personal safety persist when it comes to meeting someone you don't actually know. Live location sharing, a feature offered by various apps and devices, can provide an added layer of security and peace of mind.

So how does live location sharing actually work? What benefits does it offer? And is it also a privacy concern?

What Is Live Location Sharing?

Live location sharing allows users to share their real-time location with people they choose via a mobile device. By sharing their location, users can inform their trusted family and friends about where they are and, in doing so, increase their security. This method involves using GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular networks to determine and transmit the user's current location in real-time.

To do this, users must enable the location feature on a compatible app or platform. When the user activates the live location feature, they can select the people they want to share their location with. The application uses location services on the user's device to determine their coordinates and then sends this information to the people selected by the user. The recipient, then, will receive a notification or a map showing the user's location, even when they're on the move.

Which Apps Offer Live Location Sharing?

Lots of service offer this handy feature: Facebook Messenger lets your share location data; as does WhatsApp. You can even share maps on Snapchat!

You don't have to rely on apps either: iOS has various location services available, including ones that interact with other apps.

What Are the Benefits of Location Sharing?

Live location sharing is especially useful in scenarios where personal security is important, such as meeting strangers. By sharing their location, users provide their contacts with a constant update of where they are.

In an emergency, live location sharing can play a critical role. If you injure yourself, for instance, trusted people who receive sharing notifications from your device can quickly determine your exact location, provide necessary assistance, and alert the authorities. This feature can potentially save lives and is important for quick response in critical situations. For example, as a result of the earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, on February 6, 2023, many earthquake victims, who were under the rubble, were saved by the authorities because they shared their location.

Although live location sharing offers significant advantages, it is also important to consider the security implications associated with this technology. Protecting personal information and privacy should be a top priority.

Location Sharing and Privacy Considerations

You need to be careful when sharing your live location and make sure you only share it with people you trust. For this, choose only your close friends, family members, or other people you can rely on. Avoid sharing your location with strangers unless there is a compelling reason.

What could go possibly wrong? A thief, for instance, who knows you're not home thanks to live location sharing might try to take advantage of this. In extreme circumstances, you could even be tracked and stalked by someone who has your live location.

Consider setting location-sharing time limits to protect your privacy. Review and update your privacy settings regularly, so you can control who has access to your live location data. By limiting the sharing time, you can avoid accidentally revealing your whereabouts. Even a short time, if longer than necessary, is a privacy risk.

Before using any app that offers live location sharing, carefully review the permissions it requires. Make sure the app only accesses necessary location data and restrict unnecessary permissions that could compromise your privacy (and, so, your personal safety too). Be wary of apps that ask for excessive permissions or have a history of data breaches.

Keep the applications you use for live location sharing up to date. App developers often release updates to address security vulnerabilities and enhance privacy protections. By promptly installing these updates, you can ensure that you have the latest security patches and reduce the risk of exploitation.

Meeting Up With Someone You Don’t Know for the First Time?

The internet has facilitated a lot of wonderful things. You can make friends online, or go on to date with a stranger. But you can't know if someone you meet online is a criminal, or simply cannot be trusted. You cannot be sure of the accuracy of the information given to you. Of course, this should not be a psychological problem, but unfortunately, you need to be more careful than ever.

Let's say you have talked to someone online for months, maybe years, and now you feel trust towards this stranger. It's only natural that two people who become virtual friends want to meet up in real life too. Nonetheless, just in case, if you're determined to meet this stranger, don't hesitate to share your location data with your family, close friends, and other people you trust.

In the vast majority of cases, nothing bad will happen. But it's always better to have a safety net. Even if tech fails, people should be able to see when your phone last pinged, when they last heard from you. From there, they can infer where you might have gone.

Extra precautions help, of course. Allow some time to get to know this person in real life, but you can tell a friend or family member that you're going to call them in a couple of hours. If you don't ring them, there might be something wrong and they can follow this up. Ideally, though, you've just got carried away chatting and forgot to call!

Remember, action needs to be taken before something happens. Not afterwards. Taking action won't cost you anything.

Do You Need to Use Live Location Sharing?

Meeting up with a stranger can be a nerve-wracking experience, but live location sharing offers a valuable tool for enhancing personal safety in such situations. By using this technology responsibly, considering privacy and security implications, and following best practices, you can ease your worries and make informed decisions when meeting up with new people.

Live location sharing, when used in conjunction with other safety measures, provides an additional layer of security and peace of mind, helping individuals navigate unfamiliar social encounters with confidence.