Geosocial networking – What you need to know

Europol releases the second of its cybercrime prevention bulletins, this time on geosocial networking.

In recent years we have all become increasingly reliant on Internet technology that uses our offline location: to find directions, check the weather, search for restaurants, shops and attractions in a particular place, and a whole host of other activities. Services which combine your offline location with social networking (“geosocial networking”) have also become very popular, because they enable users to connect with friends, family and other contacts that happen to be in the same geographical area.

These services can be really helpful and enjoyable, as long as you know what is happening with your information, and what disclosing your offline location could mean for your personal security.

Europol’s Cyber Crime Centre proactively scans for developments in technology which may put Internet users at risk, so that EU citizens can better protect themselves both online and offline. A new leaflet produced by our experts provides advice on how to use geosocial services safely, particularly for younger Internet users. Please click here to download this latest bulletin.

You can read more about risks and safety on the internet, from the perspective of European children, by reading the full report produced by the LSE, London: EU Kids Online.