Creepy ‘Girls Around Me’ App Pulled — But Privacy Discussion Continues
- Posted on April 3, 2012 at 4:09pm by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »
(Image: Cult of Mac)
A smartphone app that used data collected by the popular app FourSquare came under fire recently for creepily helping users find the location of unsuspecting women. Although FourSquare blocked the “Girls Around Me” app from using its data citing violated policies, reports are that the app’s developers are saying they did nothing wrong.
PC World reports FourSquare blocked the Girls Around Me app’s use of its API on Friday, which resulted in its Russian developer pulling it from the Apple app store. The app provided data from Facebook profiles on women when they checked into bars on FourSquare.
Cult of Mac’s John Brownlee, who originally launched awareness over this controversial app last week, called it ”a wake-up call about privacy.” Here‘s Brownlee’s explanation about how the app worked:
Girls Around Me is a standard geolocation based maps app, similar to any other app that attempts to alert you to things of interest in your immediate vicinity: whether it be parties, clubs, deals, or what have you. When you load it up, the first thing Girls Around Me does is figure out where you are and load up a Google Map centered around your location. The rest of the interface is very simple: in the top left corner, there’s a button that looks like a radar display, at the right corner, there’s a fuel meter (used to fund the app’s freemium model), and on the bottom left is a button that allows you to specify between whether you’re interested in women, men or both.
It’s when you push the radar button that Girls Around Me does what it says on the tin. I pressed the button for my friends. Immediately, Girls Around Me went into radar mode, and after just a few seconds, the map around us was filled with pictures of girls who were in the neighborhood. Since I was showing off the app on a Saturday night, there were dozens of girls out on the town in our local area.
[...]
“So let’s say I’m a bro, looking to go out for a night on the town and pick someone up. Let’s say I’m going to the Independent around the corner, and checking it out ahead of time, I really like the look of this girl Zoe — she looks like a girl I might want to try to get with tonight — so I tap her picture for more information, see what I can find out about here.”
Brownlee then went on in the post to describe to his friends details about the girls he located with the app. This information came from publicly visible Facebook profiles. What Brownlee and other online privacy experts are saying is that even though this app may be a mute point since it no longer exists — for now — it is yet another example of what poor security settings on social networks can reveal about you. PC World has more:
John M. Simpson, the director of Consumer Watchdog’s privacy project, said even if people understand what data they’re sharing on social networks, they don’t expect it to be “reconfigured so they can be hit upon.”
[...]
“Many, many people have no idea the amount of information that they’re sharing on Facebook,” Simpson said. He faulted the social network’s default privacy settings. “People sometimes go on and never realize the extent to which things can be seen. I think that’s a worrisome thing. I think default settings are tremendously important.”
Brownlee authored several other posts to talk about privacy issues online after his original exposé. One of them focused on how quickly this app was squashed and why. Brownlee points out that FourSquare said Girls Around Me violated its API in that it “aggregated information across venues.” To Brownlee, this means that it wasn’t in violation because it tracked women without their consent, but because it should only show women at one venue at a time. Brownlee writes:
But is that really any better? It still allows creeps — whether potential stalkers, rapists or just pick-up artists and ballers — to research women who probably don’t even know they are exposed as potential “targets.” The only difference is, they’ve got to have a venue in mind, not just a neighborhood [...]
So, is there a larger reason as to why this app was really killed? Brownlee thinks so, and it’s because it got people talking and thinking about privacy. He writes that Facebook and FourSquare are in the business of keeping “privacy matters murky and dark” in order to encourage users to divulge information.
Shortly after Cult of Mac’s piece was published, i-Free Innovations — developer of Girls Around Me — sent a statement to the Wall Street Journal saying it had been the “unethical [...] scapegoat to talk about privacy concerns.” Here’s a snippet of their lengthy response:
Since the app’s launch[,which was several months ago,] till last Friday nobody ever raised a privacy concern because, again, it is clearly stated that Girls Around Me cannot show the user more data than social network already does.
[...]
We see this wave of negative as a serious misunderstanding of the apps’ goals, purpose, abilities and restrictions. Girls Around Me does not provide any data that is unavailable to user when he uses his or her social network account, nor does it reveal any data that users did not share with others. The app was intended for facilitating discovering of great public venues nearby. The app was designed to make it easier for a user to step out of door and hang out in the city, find people with common interests and new places to go to.
It may be worth pointing out the app’s website once said “In the mood for love, or just a one-night stand? Girls Around Me puts you in control!” i-Free Innovations has said it is reviewing comments and will work to develop a similar app that appropriately meets social network policies.
In response to Brownlee’s original article, Cult of Mac has release a “how-to” guide for those who are creeped out and wish to better secure their privacy on Facebook and FourSquare. Check out the guide here.
Comments (29)
Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 691 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 491 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 375 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 343 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 327 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 314 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 327 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 234 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 148 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 314 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
PointBreak
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 11:36amHow many spelling errors were in this? Seriously. I found 5 including my favorite; ‘Mute point’ (it’s moot).
Report Post »SpaceRaider
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:38amIf they have this, I hope there’s a “sexual predators around me” app.
Report Post »VISITORNUMBER3
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:20amSmartphones, huh?
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
Romans1:22
Report Post »Johann
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:12amBack in the 1990s Bill Clinton and Al Gore were crowing about how they were going to build the bridge to the 21st century for the youth of America. They poured billions of dollars into Americanized schools to help make the youth tech savy. Now we see the results of their endeavors and it makes one sick, but Al Gore , the inventor of the internet, still thinks that he is a wondeful human being. America has become a cesspool for the worst dregs of humanity and ironically is proud of that fact. What a disgusting society America is and it is getting worse. O tempora O mores.
Report Post »kegbuna
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 12:11pmYea we need to get rid of technology and fast!
Report Post »DigitalCultureLA
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 3:38amReally, what‘s more shocking is that people don’t realize how the technology they so fervently cling to actually functions or the incentives that work on these technology companies.
http://digitalculturela.squarespace.com/home/2012/3/31/rant-on-data-privacy-wake-up-knowledge-is-power.html
Report Post »BradLee
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 10:13pmDon’t be a whore on facebook or in real life…problem solved.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 10:54pmOh go to hell.
However, if it’s public, it’s public. Don’t want it known, don’t post it public. If you do, then you have no right to complain.
Report Post »HTuttle
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 9:06pmSandra Fluke Around Me app gets much better results!
Report Post »PaxInVeritate
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 9:40pmWonderful! Thank you for the chuckles.
Report Post »tharpdevenport
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 7:40pmThis is what all you teenage idiots get for putting all your personal information in iPhones, or iAnything, making is very public, and letting that information be shared, even after reports that your phone is sending back information about you without your knowledge, and then use such stupid apps that collect information and let anybody have it.
If this app sounds bad, just wait — after this reports of other creepy apps will surface, and worse ones will become avaiable in the future.
I WILL NEVER KNOWINGLY OWN ANYTHING APPLE MAKES.
Report Post »Icnivad
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 9:33pm*Yawn* Another person who knows enough too little about technology to know that when a creepy app comes out, APPLE DID NOT DEVELOP IT!!! THE DEVELOPERS DID!!! Of course, ignorance and disdain makes fear, which leads to more ignorance, and meaningless boycotts on a line of products because of the ignorance of the fact that Apple does not go out and assign apps to developers. Anyone with programming skills can make anything they want. The app, after developed by whoever was creating it, is then checked through an acceptation process, which basically does not allow explicit content. Yes, it’s a weird app. No, I’m not a Libby. I don’t like that Al Gore has anything to do with Apple. But, of anything, this is the wrong reason to roast Apple.
Report Post »tharpdevenport
Posted on April 4, 2012 at 2:45pmYou’ve missed the point by so far, one would think you flew a super sonic jet to it.
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 6:27pmThey should rerelease it to point out white people around, so blacks can see who bought them that cell phone, those 26 inch rims on their suv, and that lobster they had from brunch.
Report Post »kegbuna
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 12:12pmThat was probably one of the most ridiculous comments I’ve ever read.
Report Post »wvernon1981
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 6:15pmThis is only a small taste of the privacy issues we’ll face in the future as device miniaturization continues.
“If Kristofer Pister has his way, we will never think about dust in quite the same way again.
Pister is leading a team of researchers at the University of California at Berkeley that is developing tiny, electronic devices called “smart dust,” designed to capture mountains of information about their surroundings while literally floating on air.”
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2000/11/20/MN62513.DTL&ao=all#ixzz1r1BsBPOX
Report Post »PaxInVeritate
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 5:41pmHow much “fun” would Jack The Ripper have had, had this been available during his lifetime? Guess this question didn‘t enter into the prog developer’s mind.
Report Post »bitter.clinger
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 5:30pmObama has already installed his “Big Sis app” …Big Sis has her own Predator Drones and just placed an order for 450 million rounds of .40 caliber pistol ammo and 175 million rounds of .223 caliber assault rifle ammo.
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-28/news/31247765_1_atk-rounds-bullet
Obama July 2, 2008 – “We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”
Lord protect us…
Report Post »wdittgasn
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 5:57pmI thought the civilian force was called the national guard. funny, when spelling civilian at first I miss spelled it (cicilian) , then I realize I was not far off.
Report Post »wdittgasn
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 4:56pm“So let’s say I’m a bro, looking to go out for a night on the town and pick someone up.” No more needs to be said!!!
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 4:26pmOf course they can have a “Creeps”…“Losers”….“Stalkers”….. around me.
Report Post »bassist237
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 4:25pmThis is the perfect app for people who follow Jersey Shore. Garbage.
Report Post »bassist237
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 4:25pmWow… just, wow…..
Report Post »bitter.clinger
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 5:14pmYet another reason to dump Facebook and anything like it…I did three years ago. The world is a dangerous place…you put your info out there for all the world to see and – *all the world will see it*. Being “connected” and “social networking” should not replace Common Sense…gotta use yer brain. Facebook, Twitter etc. are like any other company…they gin up interest and try to convince you that “you have to have their product”…don’t be a suckah. Time to put down the cell phone…call a friend…write a letter…have a conversation…much more interactive and much more “human”.
Report Post »Locked
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 4:24pmRead and posted this article a couple days ago. Very creepy, but the key concern is obviously privacy options. Services like Facebook should be “opt-in” for privacy, not “opt-out.” Inherently veiled, but able to be opened up if the user knows what they’re doing.
Until that happens, there will be plenty more apps like this one doing the same thing. Face it: people are just dumb about their internet privacy. Pardon me while I go delete the cookies the ads on The Blaze create whenever I access this site.
Report Post »youdidthis
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 4:23pmcriminal’s dream…
Report Post »wdittgasn
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 4:58pmyeah: no one is at home app. wonderful
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 4:20pmSo there should be an “Ex-Wifes” around me app coming out soon.
Report Post »Twobyfour
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 11:01pmWarning! Ex-Wife One in your proximity!
Ex-Wife Two and Three: Safe Distance.
Report Post »