Having trouble keeping tabs on your friends at all times? The folks at Facebook can help you with that! The social media behemoth is launching a new service called “Nearby Friends” that uses real-time location data to notify users when they are geographically near a Facebook friend.
Now, the idea that it “wants to facilitate those serendipitous meetups where you run into a friend and end up having a meal or hanging out together” sounds novel. However, how serendipitous is it if your smartphone is telling you before it happens? It borders on stalking. Picture it: you’re at your neighborhood coffee shop enjoying a delicious latte. All of a sudden, that weirdo from your 10th grade math class shows up out of the blue
Oh and by the way: Facebook will be using your Nearby Friends history to serve you ads – probably for that latte you were trying to quietly enjoy. Are you willing to trade your privacy for coffee + creepy encounters? That’s up to you, folks. I love technology and I love innovation, but privacy is something that should not be taken lightly. I’ll be opting out on this one.