It’s amazing to be able to stay in touch with old friends, share pictures of your new grandchild or recent vacation, and find new ideas for DIY projects. You may post pictures of your gorgeous vacation. It may seem harmless. Unfortunately, it may not be.
Geo-tagging is the term used for posting geographic coordinates to media based off the location of your mobile device. This means without even realizing, when you post, you are sharing where you are in the world. It’s even been on “trend” to give names to locations that wouldn’t normally have one. For example, a home in Delray Beach could just be geo-tagged as “Delray Beach” , but if someone decides to name it “The Best Hangout” , that geotag gets a lot more specific. Also, with vacation photos, people know you are away from home.
It’s smart to consider your safety– and even smarter to practice safety online.
- Do not geo-tag your home if you can help it. Keep it general if you want to tag where you are so no one can find your home if you don’t want them to.
- While it’s fun to post vacation pictures – maybe wait until you get back, or don’t post the dates of your trip. It’s easy to connect the dots that if you’re out of the country or state – no one’s protecting your home.
- Watch for patterns of people you don’t know liking or engaging with your content. It’s a good idea to keep pages private.
- Have a plan when you travel – if you love to post what you’re up to, that’s okay – but have a security back at home. Have All Florida Alarms Install a security system, set up automatic motion sensor lights, and you can track your home right on your phone while away.
- Lastly, let a neighbor know you’ll be traveling so they can collect your newspaper, mail, and keep a neighbor’s eye on your property.
Protect your home and be careful what you share!
