Untag me, I'm a soldier: US Army warns against geotagging on Facebook
From online dispatches
US soldiers keep watch at the entrance of a military base near Alkozai village following the shooting of Afghan civilians allegedly committed by a rogue US soldier in Panjwayi district, Kandahar province on March 11, 2012. AFP Photo
The United States Army has made an official statement warning its members to be careful about posting photos on Facebook with location tags, a service automatically provided by Facebook once approved by the user.According to the BBC report, four U.S. helicopters were shot down in Iraq in 2007 after geotagging revealed the exact location to opposing forces.
The soldiers were warned to be cautious on not just their own photos, but the photos of their families as well, which may tag the location of their homes.
The statement released by the U.S. Army stated that smartphones were capable of locating the exact latitude and longitude of where the photo was taken.
Staff Sgt. Dale Sweetnam of the Army’s Online and Social Media Division said soldiers' habits were easily picked up on by simply looking at their “timeline,” a feature of Facebook that allows users to pin events and updates back to back on an online calendar.
These practices may help the opposing side gain intelligence simply by friending a U.S. army member.
Soldiers were advised to turn off their smartphones’ geotagging feature and choose the “don't allow" option on Facebook to prevent the disclosure of sensitive information as to their whereabouts on social media.
