What is the number one stumbling block to location based social network adoption?
Photo by rpongsaj
Privacy.
To better judge how people use networks like Foursquare and Gowalla I did an informal survey.
63% of users only share their location with close friends, while 37% have a much more open approach. There are varying shades of gray in between the 2 choices I listed but I think the 60/40 split is an accurate representation of the larger user base.
The question illustrates the basic problem with geosocial apps.
To maintain privacy you have to be very restrictive whom you friend which lessens the chances of extending online connections to the offline world but the more public approach is at times just too public.
It’s time for Gowalla & Foursquare to recognize that Privacy is a Feature.
The Case for Complexity
The recent debates about Facebook have elevated the conversation of online privacy into a very public arena and this should prompt social networks to seriously consider their privacy offerings.
We’ve all heard the stories of people getting prank calls at the gym and the media salivates every time they can possibly tie Facebook/Twitter to a home break-in, while some of these incidents are a bit overblown the fact remains that sharing our exact location has ramifications.
*As a sidebar I think this is particularly important when we are talking about ladies using geosocial networks.
Facebook needed simplicity. Gowalla/Foursquare need complexity.
Checkin privacy should be a layered approach based upon two factors
- Groups – I should be able to define a group of close friends that can see my exact location while others can only view neighborhood/city/state.
- Proximity – I should also be able to adjust that privacy based on your proximity. If you are an acquaintance but checked in to the same location I should be able to allow them a more detailed view.
The more correct answer to my poll is “both”. Geosocial apps should offer users a better method to control who can see our current location so we can use it how we prefer.
GeoSocial adoption must have privacy as a feature.
