Recently we reported on a Chrome extension that allows a Facebook user to find out where their friends are (and have been in the past) based on the location information they [probably] inadvertently transmit via their Facebook chat messages.
The extension, developed by Aran Khanna, allowed a Facebook user to plot the locations of their friends over time onto a map, based on their message history with that person. The extension revealed that – by default – every message you sent via the Facebook app on your phone included your location, allowing someone to build a historical map of where you’ve visited, which in some cases allowed users to predict where you will be at any given point in the future.
Needless to say, the app was dubbed a stalkers best friend, but it only utilised information that Facebook made public, albeit behind the scenes.
Well now Facebook are turning off that option by default, and we recommend keeping it off.
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There are few benefits of sharing your location each time you send a message, especially information about your location that could pinpoint you to only a few metres from where you are, which is possible when the Facebook messenger location services feature is enabled.
Now the feature has been defaulted to off. If you still want to share your location when you send a message, you’d need to do it manually when sending a message.
If you’re not sure if location tracking is enabled, you can check. On iOS devices, go to the main settings menu and select privacy and then location. On Android, click the Facebook app itself and navigate to the main Settings menu and select Location sharing.
And if you notice any one of your friends sharing their location, it may be worth letting them know to make sure they are aware.