WHY IT MATTERS
Photos and videos can reveal location in ways that aren’t always obvious. Location tags, check-ins, visible landmarks and app settings can identify places where children live, attend school or regularly spend time.
1. CHECK CAMERA LOCATION SETTINGS
Understand whether photographs are storing GPS information.
2. DON’T ADD UNNECESSARY LOCATION TAGS
The audience rarely needs the exact venue.
3. AVOID REAL-TIME CHECK-INS
Publish after leaving.
4. LOOK FOR LANDMARKS
A recognizable building may reveal the location even without a tag.
5. HIDE HOUSE NUMBERS AND STREET SIGNS
Visual information can be more revealing than metadata.
6. PROTECT SCHOOL LOCATIONS
Don’t tag or identify places children attend regularly.
7. REVIEW SOCIAL APP SETTINGS
Different platforms handle location information differently.
8. TEACH OLDER CHILDREN ABOUT CHECK-INS
Their own posts can undo family privacy precautions.
9. REVIEW OLD LOCATION POSTS
Historical tags can reveal patterns.
10. USE THE NEED-TO-KNOW TEST
If viewers don’t need to know exactly where the child is, don’t tell them.
BOTTOM LINE
A photograph can reveal where a child is even when nobody writes the address.