Experts Available to Discuss Web Photos That Reveal Secrets, Like Where You Live

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“Our intent is not to show how it’s done”

A recent New York Times article reveals a hole in online privacy of which even some very sophisticated computer users are not aware.

Geotags embedded in photos and videos taken with GPS-equipped smartphones and digital cameras can reveal the exact location of the subject of a photograph posted online. Many people might not realize it is there because the location information is not visible to the casual viewer, as it would be when using sites like Foursquare and Gowalla. It's possible to turn it off but not easy to do. Thus people who post media online can be unknowingly compromising their privacy or even their safety.

“I’d say very few people know about geotag capabilities,” said Peter Eckersley, a staff technologist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco, “and consent is sort of a slippery slope when the only way you can turn off the function on your smartphone is through an invisible menu that no one really knows about.”

Some academic researchers and Web security analysts calling themselves "white hat hackers" are trying to raise awareness about geotags by giving presentations and releasing studies. They have discovered that geotagged photos and videos are ubiquitous on sites like Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Craigslist. Says one of these researchers, Robin Sommer, "You can easily find out where people live, what kind of things they have in their house and also when they are going to be away." He also points out that even if you don't post such photos yourself, a friend might take a geotagged photo of your house and post it.

Says Mr. Sommers about the research being done: “Our intent is not to show how it’s done,” he said, “but raise awareness so people can understand their devices and turn off those options if they want to.”

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EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:

Mr. Jeffrey Housenbold , Shutterfly

Jeffrey Housenbold, CEO of Shutterfly (NASDQ: SFLY), is a new-media visionary with a successful track record of building online consumer franchises by artfully combining commerce and community. His leadership and vision are the driving force behind Shutterfly’s industry-leading transformation of how people interact with and share their memories. Jeff can discuss every aspect of sharing photos, both online and off, and how consumers are transitioning from the 4x6 print to other methods of sharing photos and preserving memories. He can also address privacy concerns as they relate to sharing photos online and on social networks and how different age groups have unique photo-sharing behaviors. Because Shutterfly owns the nation’s largest digital manufacturing facilities, Jeff can also address the growing photo book market and comment on the relevance of holiday cards in a digital world.
Research and Publications: Jeffrey is the co-author of The Shutterfly Guide to Great Digital Photos, an instructional book published by McGraw-Hill on the essentials of digital photography and managing images. He has delivered the keynote address at InfoTrends 2006 and eTail 2007. He has appeared on "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch,” FoxBusiness and CNBC among others. He has been awarded Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year,” San Francisco Business Times’ “Most Admired CEO” and recognized in BusinessWeek’s “40 under 40.”

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Ms. Malini Hoover , LELA Media

Malini Hoover is founder and CEO of LELA Media, owner of www.iaam.com, a social media site for teens and tweens, which focuses on positive news and life skills for young adults. She is a passionate teen advocate. Malini has been interviewed by numerous news outlets regarding the impact of new media and internet usage on teens. Her expertise is built around recognizing the potential negative messages and effects of new media on teens. Her mission is to promote positive news messages and the use of new media in helping teens build life skills in finance, college, career, online security, entrepreneurship and success.
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Name: Ms. Malini Hoover
Title: Founder/CEO
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