Location-Related Privacy in Geo-Social Networks

Abstract

Geo-Social Networks (GeoSNs) extend social networks by providing context-aware services that support the association of location with users and content. We are witnessing a proliferation of GeoSNs, and indications are that these are rapidly attracting increasing numbers of users. The availability of user location yields new capabilities that provide benefits to users as well as service providers. GeoSNs currently offer different types of services, including photo sharing, friend tracking, and "check-ins." However, the introduction of location generates new privacy threats, which in turn calls for new means of affording user privacy in GeoSNs.This article categorizes GeoSNs according to the services they offer; it studies three privacy aspects that are central to GeoSNs, namely location, absence, and co-location privacy; and it discusses possible means of providing these kinds of privacy, as well as presents unresolved privacy-related challenges in GeoSNs.

Consumers Attitude Towards Location-Based Advertising: An Exploratory Study

“…Location-based service applications, therefore, present new marketing strategies for businesses to use to interact with the target customers (Tussydiah, 2012 [69]; Gidofalvi, Larsen & Peterson, 2008 [19]; Gillin, 2007[20]; Mayzin, 2006 [44]; Sultan & Rohn, 2005 [66]; Unni & Harmon, 2003) [70]. Location-based services have, therefore, been used in several places and devices such as online social networks, Radio frequency identification devices, and Mobile telecommunication devices (Pedrana, 2014[48]; Simon & Karen, 2013[63]; Vicente, Freni, Bettini & Jensen, 2011 [72]; Li & Chen, 2010) [39]. The acceptance of location-based services by consumers in recent times has enhanced location-based services and location-based industry (Mao & Zhang, 2013;Yun, Han & Lee, 2013 (2008) posited that it's beneficial to business organizations include location-based advertising, personalized advertisements irrespective of time and distance.…”

Scaling spatial big data in a location-based social network

“…smartphones and tablets, have enabled the emergence of Location-Based Social Networks -LBSNs. The LBSNs provide context aware services which help associate users with content (VICENTE et al, 2011).…”

Children and geotagged images: quantitative analysis for security risk assessment

“…Along with image sharing, many sites enable the publication of geo-located content in realtime (Vicente, et al, 2011) by use of geotagging. Geotagging is the process of storing longitude and latitude data within an image (Vamosi, 2010).…”

“…However, like many other technologies, geolocation has dangers along with its beneficial functionality. Privacy advocates warn that when a user posts a geotagged resource that location can be easily accessed by millions of Internet users to determine the location of the person posting the resource (Vicente, et al, 2011). Prior studies have reviewed various aspects of geolocation privacy and security issues, but no studies so far have concentrated on the safety aspects related to children.…”