James Delahunty
11 Mar 2012 9:05
Geotagged photos pose a risk, Army says.
It has warned that smartphones often geotag photos automatically with GPS information, which can give away the exact location of a unit. In 2007, four US Army helicopters were destroyed in Iraq after geotagged photos featuring them were posted online.
The Army also warns that this information could be dangerous to soldiers at home who use Facebook and other social media services. "Do you really want everyone to know the exact location of your home or your children's school?" Staff Sgt Dale Sweetnam of the Online and Social Media Division said.
"Before adding a location to a photo, soldiers really need to step back and ask themselves, 'Who really needs to know this location information?'"
Facebook's Timeline has also posed a new problem for the Army, revealing soldiers' routes and habits publicly to anyone who is interesting in knowing. It's for these reasons that the British Army has banned the use of all mobile phones in operational zones, and also warns soldiers about taking geotagged photos at home.