Boon or Bane? Location Monitoring on Google Maps Update

The recent Google Maps update has made it easier for everyone to find everyone else. With the new location-monitoring feature, people can now broadcast their movements through their Google Maps mobile app and on personal computers. At any time, you can share your real-time location with friends and family.

Made possible via GPS, Google Maps’ new feature allows:

• You to share your location in real-time with other people in your network or your existing Google contacts
• You to see and pinpoint exactly where someone is at any specific time
• You to set a pre-defined time to share your location or indefinitely

Drivers and parents will most likely appreciate the new update on Google Maps.

While the new feature is welcomed by people who want to keep a close eye on their loved ones, it is also perceived as a breach of privacy. Location sharing is even foreseen as to cause possible friction in relationships, especially when the demand to know someone’s whereabouts takes on an extreme level.

But there are ways to maintain privacy. You can always turn off location monitoring any time you want. If you set location sharing schedule to indefinitely, you will receive an email reminder, giving you an option to keep monitoring on or off.

The Google Maps update is available for all iOS and Android mobile devices. Once the update is received, you need to activate the feature by clicking on the blue location dot or heading into the Maps’ side menu and then tapping “Share Location”.

You can then choose who you want to share your location with and for how long. The location-monitoring feature is available for your existing Google contacts via messaging services, such as WhatsApp, or via text.

Take advantage of this new feature, along with Google Maps tips you can enjoy when you explore them.