Location-based social networking (LBSN) is social networking in which geographic location shapes what people share or how they connect. A service might attach a place to a post, let users check in or share their current location, or use location activity to find people and suggest nearby places. Location can be an added feature on a broader social network or the basis for a network’s social interactions.
What makes a social network location-based?
Geography must play a role in the social interaction or content—not just appear as incidental background data. In an LBSN, location can help people share information, establish that they are at a place, or form connections based on being in the same area or having similar location histories. Microsoft Research describes this broader idea as including both location-embedded content and social relationships shaped by people’s locations. Microsoft Research’s overview of location-based social networks explains the concept.
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That means an existing social network can have location-based features without being organized entirely around location. Conversely, a service may make geographic interaction central to its social structure. The useful distinction is what location does in the service, not whether the whole product fits one rigid label.
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How do social networks use location?
Location may be represented as a precise point, a broader region, or a trajectory over time. It can be expressed through coordinates, relative position, or a symbolic place label such as “home,” “office,” or a shopping mall. Depending on the feature, the location may be current or drawn from past activity.
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- Location-tagged content: A person attaches a place to a photo, video, or post.
- Check-ins: A user states that they are at a particular venue. This is a place-associated statement, not by itself a continuous record of movement.
- Location sharing: A person shares their current location with selected friends.
- Location-aware discovery: A service uses current or past location-related activity to surface recommendations or other relevant information.
These functions can overlap. Pew Research Center’s 2013 report noted that the boundary between location-targeted services, such as directions and recommendations, and geosocial features, such as check-ins and sharing a friend’s location, was becoming less distinct as services combined them. Pew Research Center’s report on location-based services provides that historical context.
How is LBSN different from a location-based service?
A location-based service can provide maps, directions, or local information without creating social connections. Location-based social networking adds a social role: people share location-related content, interact around presence or places, or connect through geographic relationships. The categories overlap, so a feature’s social purpose is more informative than its label.
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A check-in and a location trajectory are also different. A check-in associates a user with a place at a moment; a trajectory describes movement across locations and time. Either may contribute to a location history, but a check-in should not be mistaken for proof that a service continuously tracks someone.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWhy does location sharing raise privacy concerns?
Location can reveal more than a person’s position. A pattern of visits may expose routines, relationships, or sensitive activities; the IETF’s location-privacy guidance gives a visit to a medical clinic as an example. The risk depends in part on the precision of the data, how long it is retained, who can access it, and whether it is reused. The guidance also discusses stalking and domestic-violence risks when location services are abused. IETF RFC 6280 sets out these location-privacy concerns.
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A 2010 study by Janice Y. Tsai, Patrick Gage Kelley, Lorrie Faith Cranor, and Norman Sadeh surveyed 587 US internet users and analyzed privacy controls in 89 location-sharing applications. Respondents were especially concerned about controlling who could access their location; anticipated harms included exposing a home location and being stalked. These findings describe that study’s participants and the applications examined, not current users or today’s app controls. The study by Tsai and colleagues reports its methods and findings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What do historical adoption figures tell us?
Pew Research Center reported in May 2013 that 30% of adult social media users said at least one of their accounts was set up to include their location in posts. That is a historical survey result, not an estimate of current use. In the separate 2010 study, 72.4% of surveyed participants had heard of location-sharing technologies; that figure applies to the study sample, not national awareness today.
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Pew’s 2013 report also described Foursquare at that time as a geosocial service focused on check-ins and points that was moving toward real-time, location-triggered suggestions informed by previous check-ins. This is a dated illustration of social location sharing and recommendations converging, not a description of the service today.
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