Google – “sharing location” option
On the 22nd of March 2017 Google Maps, came up with a real time sharing location (the newest “share location” option), which now gives its users an opportunity of sharing their whereabouts with each other. It`s range is said to be from 15 minutes till around three days.
Since now on your friends can follow your location (if you will make it visible for them), for example when you attempt to navigate the city’s bus system or while you are stuck in traffic. Its aim is to make the social life like meetings and hang-outs easier by giving your friend an updated information on your localization.
Furthermore, via this new option, it is also possible to create itineraries, see the most popular local businesses hours, track parking spots or special traffic-destroying events around the area.
All of these facilities have their price to be paid though. Namely, if you will activate this option Google is going to get all the information about your daily habits and rituals (on what you are doing, when, where and which is your favorite coffee shop), which could later be sold for instance to advertisers.
However, Erik Gordon, a student of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business´ (entrepreneurship and strategy) says: “If you can couch it in social, it’s your friends that can track you—not that Big Brother can track you, not that an ad server can track you, not that Travis Kalanick can track you”.
Google itself stresses the interface makes it clear that the option to share will be entirely and only in the hands of the individual users when it comes to sharing locations.
