Social Media – the love-hate relationship we have with the world. A whole universe of infinite resources practically available to you at the tip of our fingers, anytime, anywhere. 

Multiple articles have been written on the power of social data and how every self-respected corporation should not only be on social media but also spend millions annually to be innovative and get to the customers. In recent months in recent years, we have all read about houses being robbed while users are on vacation and sharing that with the world on social media. While law enforcement has recently added social media among the top reasons for house break-ins, surprisingly many still continue their tagging practices. If you love social media and want to protect your assets, we strongly suggest some quick tips and practices on digital geo-tagging.

What is geo-tagging

Anytime you post anything – on Facebook, Twitter, on mobile apps such as Viber, and multiple others, there is an option to add your location. Whether that is a restaurant you’re eating at or the neighborhood you’re in, that option is almost always available given you have internet on your device. 

Automatic geo-tagging

While you may not want to add the location you’re at, be aware that if your location services are ON, then you will inevitably be tagged without and your location may be shown or available. Viber is a perfect example of that – any message you send has a small arrow in the corner giving the precise location of your coordinates.

Self geo-tagging

Geo-tagging (by choice) is obviously a great functionality of almost all smartphones and social platforms. By tagging ourselves we can easily see who we are nearby in any given city, at any given time. We can explore restaurants and places; finding people we may be interested in following has never been easier – it’s as simple as clicking on the geotag.

Safe tagging practices 

If you’re still keen on sharing the awesome places you’ve gone to and want to tag yourself, just be cautious about when you do it. Most optimal safety check-in would be to tag yourself when you’re already home or at least the day you’re arriving home (though not preferable).

Adjust your preferences

Every app on your smartphone has preferences on tagging and location services, which can be adjusted. Go to your phone settings and check individually the location services or do them all in bulk. Follow the below instructions to do that:

1. Open your iPhone’s Settings
2. Click on Privacy > Location Services
3. Select the respective app 
4. Select Never or While Using the App to adjust your location services preferences

Safe tagging, everyone! 

About the Author:

Tsvetta Kaleynska is a SaaS consultant, motivational speaker, and author on the topics of social media + technology and their impact on international development and safety.  She is the founder of RILA GLOBAL CONSULTING, a boutique consultancy in New York City. Tsvetta is considered to be the digital guru of Eastern Europe with the first published book on social media on the Balkans’ market released in 2014. As a social media thought leader, Tsvetta’s work is regularly featured in top media outlets such as Ted X, Cosmopolitan and Elle magazines. In her free time, she is a TV correspondent for a national morning show in Bulgaria, where she uncovers global digital trends and introduces the viewers to innovation practices. Kaleynska is fluent in five languages.

Edward Bertrand