"Where Are You Now?" KakaoTalk's 'Friend Location' Feature Sparks Debate Over Convenience vs. Privacy Concerns

According to Financial News, KakaoTalk's friend-to-friend location sharing feature was recently updated to allow unlimited sharing, removing the previous one-hour time limit. While some users appreciate the change, others worry about possible invasions of privacy.
On the 18th, industry sources reported that Kakao Map revamped its 'Talk Friend Location Sharing' service to 'Friend Location' starting from the afternoon of the 12th. The previous service, launched in 2019, allowed users to select sharing durations of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or one hour, and could be accessed via Kakao Map or the plus (+) menu in KakaoTalk chat rooms.
The updated 'Friend Location' service now enables unlimited location sharing. Unless a user manually stops sharing, friends can continuously check each other's locations without any time restrictions.
The Friend Location service requires explicit consent from the user before activation. For users under the age of 14, legal guardian approval is mandatory. Additionally, users can temporarily hide their location or stop sharing altogether if they do not wish to disclose their whereabouts.
Furthermore, the service is not available in anonymous open chat rooms or group chats with more than 100 participants. Location sharing invitations can only be sent to KakaoTalk friends or members of the current chat room, ensuring that users cannot share their location with strangers.
Reactions to the update have been divided. Some praise the feature as beneficial for parents or families with dementia patients, citing enhanced safety. Others, however, raise concerns about the possibility of forced consent, misuse for criminal purposes, or surveillance by employers.
On social networking services (SNS), users have shared tips on how to disable the location-sharing feature. Some point out that forgetting to turn off sharing could expose private information, such as one's home address. There are also concerns about stalking crimes and the potential for relationship conflicts among couples.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter