For the last month, I’ve been in love with the idea of Four Square, but too terrified to check it out. Today I decided to take the plunge. After signing up, I ensured that it could not post to my Facebook and Twitter, and ensuring that it could not auto broadcast my location or any information that I may not want on the internet.
While walking to my car at lunch, I realized that alot of people complain about government and business monitoring them without their permission, and about their right to privacy. Then I thought about how many people give that information away freely. When you post on Facebook that you are at your favorite restaurant, when you post that you are out with so and so. You are giving a little piece of your privacy away. That information is stored on a computer somewhere and can be accessed almost will. Even if you have your privacy settings configured, that information is still recorded and accessible to law enforcement or a criminal who wants it bad enough.
In light of that, Four Square doesn’t seem so bad. I am not advocating going “off the grid”. I’m just saying that you should be careful what you say and do online as it never goes away. That information could come back to haunt you when you least expect it. Just be mindful of what you post and what your privacy settings are. That will go a long way towards safe guarding your privacy.
Lastly, remember that your shiny smart phone that allows you to connect to all of your favorite social networking sites can also cause you problems. All cell phones carry a GPS, and on many phones there are ways to remotely turn it on. If you have a smart phone, be careful where you get your applications from. Your smart phone is just like your computer and can get viruses and malware. On many smart phones, turning the phone off does not actually turn the phone off, but puts it into a standby mode. If you’re lucky enough to have a removable battery, then you can remove it to ensure it is really off. Your smart phone can be the most useful device you own or your own private tattle tell. It’s up to you to decide how you want to use it.
