A new website PleaseRobMe.com has highlighted the semi-obvious idea that by Tweeting your whereabouts you’re telling the world you’re not at home to protect your silver cutlery and candlesticks.
Please Rob Me works by searching for updates from the online game Foursquare, which allows users to "check in" to different locations through GPS on their smartphones.
These locations can then be automatically updated to Twitter, which is where PleaseRobMe steps in.
The site then lists robber opportunities when it appears someone is not home- with avatar and all so you can even identify the person you’re robbing.
The website's Dutch developers said that they designed Please Rob Me to prove a point about the dangers of sharing personal location information on the inter-web.
“It started with me and a friend looking at our Twitter feeds and seeing more and more Foursquare posts,” said Boy Van Amstel, one of PleaseRobMe’s developers.
“People were checking in at their house, or their girlfriend’s or friend’s house, and sharing the address – I don’t think they were aware of how much they were sharing,” he said.
The developers said that Please Rob Me only took a few hours to create.
“It’s basically a Twitter search – nothing new,” Mr Van Amstel said.
“Anyone who can do HTML and javascript can do this. You could almost laugh at how easy it is.”
Despite the site's domain name, Mr Van Amstel said that the site should not be used for illegal purposes, which is kind of like Mc Donalds telling you to go for a run after you get through a large Big Mac meal.
“The website is not a tool for burglary; the point we’re getting at is that not long ago it was questionable to share your full name on the internet. We’ve gone past that point by 1000 miles,” he said.
While there may not be such a thing as safe location-sharing at the moment, Please Rob Me at least makes us aware of the security risks involved the next time you Tweet from Amsterdam.
Do you often share your whereabouts online? Leave us a comment and let us know.
3 thoughts on “Please Rob Me Site Reveals Foursquare Twits”
I fear I’m one of those ‘overly-cautious’ types – not a fan of sharing my location at all.
In fact, I think going back 18months I wouldn’t even be considered ‘cautious’ – nobody in their right mind shared their location and then along came things like “Google Lattitude” and voila, it was all the rage.
I can’t fathom it, personally!
The people at http://www.phonelosers.org have been using pleaserobme data to call up businesses that people check into and then having the Foursquare users paged. It’s funny stuff, but also another good example of why posting your location to the public nonstop is a stupid idea.