Implications Of Consumer Location Based Services Apps

Implications of consumer location-based services apps Introduction Location based services (LBS) have been on the rise since public access to positioning technologies. These services are increasingly being used on mobile devices. Between 2010 and 2013 mobile internet usage increased 359%, whereas desktop internet usage only increased by 4% (Ju-Young, Johnson, Mee Mun, 2015). LBS create an augmented reality by adding and integrating information to real world experiences (Pedrana, 2014). LBS apps, such as Grindr, Yelp and Foursquare, use the geographic location of their users to provide or augment an activity. Although these consumer and social marketing based apps have benefits such as increased sense of community, access to information†¦show more content†¦The app is not only a way for gay men to have a dating experience, but it also puts members of this community in contact with each other as a place to find help or support. If someone cannot find their place in a gay community in their area, they can turn to Grindr as a way to locate in dividuals. This app brings together overlapping communities, putting people with similar sexualities and locations in contact (Shotwell, 2011). In this regard, it is beneficial to provide specific demographics with LBS apps as a way to create a new space for the community to connect. Although there are benefits to the location-based nature of Grindr, we must remain critical of the privacy issues and social implications of the app. Grindr’s privacy policy states that third parties, such as advertisers and partners, may access user information and that Grindr â€Å"expressly disclaim[s] responsibility for information collected through them† (Grindr, 2015). User information that can be accessed by Grindr and third parties includes names, photos, height, weight, email address and so on. Some may not be bothered by this, but there are serious implications to consider. Legal and social rights need to be considered regarding the collection of personal information, as it can b e used and exploited in many ways (Wilken, 2014). Commercial exploitation can occur by selling personal data, and using to reduce transparency and influence consumers. Yelp Yelp is a mobile app that aims to connect