subject: Foursquare, it's not just for the playground anymore? [print this page] Foursquare, it's not just for the playground anymore?
New York mobile startup Foursquare is one of the hottest Social Media Trends around!
But what is it? How does it work?
Foursquare is an increasingly popular location-based social network that is based on a game-like premise. Players use smart phones or laptops to "check in" to a location, recording their position on a map for friends using the service to see. The more often you check in, the better your chances of being declared "the mayor" of a particular location, be it a restaurant, bar, office or even your own home.
It's one of the fastest-growing social networks, about to reach 4 million users.
What are the dangers in using FourSquare?
Home Invasions
While you are off blasting your location to all of your Foursquare friends, you might be giving the "green light" to burglars that have been "casing" your house for a robbery. Using the Foursquare social network to check-in to a location can be an indication to dangerous burglars that your house is empty and they can invade your privacy. What's even more dangerous about this crime is that you might return home while the crime is still talking place. Please Rob Me mocks this privacy flaw and how people leave themselves open to crimes on Foursquare.
Muggings
What's even more dangerous than someone invading your home's privacy is someone using Foursquare to attack you. With up to 900 friends on this new social network, posting on Foursquare can let muggers know the exact location to rob you at. I don't mean to be paranoid, but with 900 friends, someone might be "scoping you out" and pegging you for a mugging. Robbery is not a make believe crime and this social network might have opened up your privacy and made mugging a heck of a lot easier.
Sexual Predators
Adults aren't the only ones using social networks nowadays and with no age limitations on Foursquare, young children can be leaking their privacy to a dangerous sexual predators. Even adults can be a victim of sexual crimes when posting on Foursquare. While you're checking-into a bar on Foursquare, one of the people lurking in that dark bar could be a dangerous sexual predator that's waiting for the right opportunity to commit the crime or drug your drink.
Kidnapping
Every now and then there will be a missing persons alert on the news and this is no fluke. Kidnappings are dangerous crimes that happen all over the world every year and often. Foursquare gives dangerous kidnappers everything they need to invade your privacy and commit their kidnapping crime. Your profile is filled with your personal information including pictures, previous locations and the most recent place you've checked into. While you're opening up your privacy to up to 900 strangers, a kidnapper can be lurking around waiting to grab you up you'll be like a mouse in an open field, while an eagle watches from above.
Privacy is a major issue on social networks and while these examples might sound a bit paranoid and sensationalized; these crimes can happen. It's important to take care of yourself and your privacy online. Be careful.
