Learn About Location Sharing and Digital Tracking
Location sharing and digital tracking are part of everyday online life for many tamariki and rangatahi. They can show up in family safety tools, phones, smart watches, games, messaging apps, social media, fitness apps, photo sharing, ride-share tools, and “Find My” style features. Sometimes they help with coordination, safety, and growing independence. Sometimes they reveal more than a young person, parent, or wider whānau realises, adding to a young person’s digital footprint and creating privacy or online safety risks. This page will help you understand how location data gets shared, spilled, inferred, and tracked — and what simple first steps can help a young person take control of their data.
In a nutshell
Location sharing is when a person, app, or device shares where someone is or has been.
Digital tracking is broader. It can include:
- live location and location history
- app permissions and location services
- background location access
- geotagged photos and geotagging through cameras or apps
- device finders and wearables
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals
- trackers attached to objects or devices.
Some location data sharing is intentional. A young person might use live location for a pickup, a family might use a safety app, or friends might turn on a map feature.
Some location data is spilled without much thought. A photo can show a school sign, house number, sports ground, bus stop, or regular route. A post from the same place each week can build a pattern. A wearable or app may keep collecting location in the background. Photos can also contain GPS data, and apps sometimes ask for location access they do not really need. Over time, this can become part of a young person’s digital footprint.
Some location can also be inferred, even when no map pin is shared. Repeated clues can show where a young person goes, when they are usually there, and who they are with.
A useful question is not just, “Is location on?” but also, “Who can see it, what else reveals it, and what picture does it build over time?”
5-minute whānau safety check
- We know which apps, devices, or features can reveal my young person’s location
- We know who can see that location, and whether it is live, limited, or always on
- We understand that photos, posts, wearables, and app permissions can reveal location too
- My young person knows to ask before sharing someone else’s location, photo, or routine
- We talk about when location sharing helps, and when it gives away more than we need.
What to expect
As young people grow, location sharing often becomes part of everyday life.
You might notice:
- family members relying on live location for pickups, timing, or reassurance
- a young person assuming only friends can see something when it is actually wider than that
- photos or posts showing school, home, sports grounds, bus stops, workplaces, or regular hangouts
- pressure from friends or dating partners to turn on live location or prove where they are
- confusion about which apps are tracking in the background
- adults posting photos or updates that accidentally reveal a young person’s routine or whereabouts
- arguments about privacy, trust, or “why do you need to know where I am?”
- a young person feeling watched, followed, or uneasy about being seen online.
Sometimes these are normal tensions around trust and independence. Sometimes they are signs that sharing is wider, more constant, or more controlling than anyone intended.
What’s the up-side?
Location tools can be useful.
Safety and coordination
Used well, they can help with pickups, meeting up, travelling, and emergencies.
Independence with support
For some tamariki and rangatahi, limited location sharing can be part of growing independence while trusted adults still stay in the loop.
Convenience
Maps, route tools, ride-share features, and device finders can make everyday life easier.
Reassurance
Some whānau use location tools as part of practical care, especially when a young person is travelling alone, heading somewhere new, or carrying a device for the first time.
The question is not whether location tools are ever useful. It is whether they still leave room for privacy, trust, consent, and age-appropriate independence.
What's the flip-side?
Location sharing and digital tracking can also create privacy, safety, and control risks.
Too much visibility
Live location, location history, and public map features can reveal where a young person is, where they go regularly, and when they are there.
Routine and digital footprint risks
Photos, posts, check-ins, and repeated clues can reveal home, school, clubs, routes, and routines over time. What gets shared online can become part of a digital footprint and spread further than intended.
Tracking without real understanding
A young person may agree to sharing without realising who can see it, how long it stays on, or how many apps or devices are involved.
App and device overreach
Some apps request location access even when it is not essential, and some devices keep collecting location data in the background. It helps to review permissions, turn off sharing that is not needed, and check wearable, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and location settings when privacy matters.
Pressure from peers or partners
Some young people feel pushed into sharing location to show loyalty, prove where they are, or avoid conflict.
Monitoring and control
In more serious situations, location tracking can be used to monitor, frighten, harass, stalk, or control someone.
False sense of safety
Knowing where a phone is does not always tell you where a young person is, who they are with, or whether they are actually safe.
Safety Check
Try this together on one phone, app, or device for one minute.
- Check whether location is on, off, always on, or only while using the app
- Look at who can see it: one trusted adult, selected friends, all contacts, followers, or the public
- Check whether photos, posts, wearables, or maps are revealing more than expected
- Ask: “Is this helping with safety or coordination, or is it sharing more than we really need?”
- If it is too open, choose one step together: turn it off, narrow the audience, or use it only for a specific time.
Choosing the right level of sharing
The question is not always simply on or off.
Often the better question is: what level of sharing fits this situation, this young person, and this purpose?
Sometimes the right answer is:
- yes, with one trusted adult
- yes, but only for a trip or pickup
- yes, but only while using the app
- yes, but not with friends
- not now
- not with that app, audience, or feature
Ask: "Does this sharing help with safety or coordination, or is it giving away more than we really need?"
Different whānau will draw the line in different places. What matters is whether the level of sharing fits your young person’s age, your family values, and the reason for using it.
Top Tips
Click on each block to learn simple ways to help your whānau find the right balance with location sharing and digital tracking.
You do not need to start with suspicion.
Try asking:
- “Who can see your location right now?”
- “When does this app use your location?”
- “Does this feel helpful, or does it feel like too much?”
- “What would you want someone to ask before sharing your location or photo?”
This keeps the focus on understanding and consent, not blame.
You do not need one big serious talk.
You can:
- check location settings when setting up a new phone, app, or wearable
- talk about photos and posts that give away routine or place
- point out that “friends only” and “public” are not the same thing
- explain that location sharing should have a clear purpose, not just happen by default.
This helps location sharing feel like a family safety and privacy conversation, not just a rule.
A lot of young people do better when adults notice alongside them.
You could:
- talk about when location sharing feels helpful and when it feels like too much
- compare different situations, like family pickups, sharing with friends, or sharing with a partner
- agree what kind of sharing feels okay, and what does not
- decide what to do if sharing starts to feel uncomfortable, pressuring, or controlling.
The goal is not to check every setting all the time. It is to help your young person think about what feels safe, useful, and manageable.
Try not to frame this as “privacy versus safety.”
A better frame is:
- some location tools help with care, coordination, and independence
- some location sharing gives away more than a young person realises
- some tracking crosses the line from support into pressure or control.
Sometimes the right answer is yes. Sometimes it is yes, but only with limits. Sometimes it is not now, not with that audience, or only for that trip.
When to review urgently
Review settings and sharing more urgently if:
- your young person feels pressured to share location
- someone is using location to check up on, question, or control them
- a map feature is on all the time without a clear reason
- photos or posts are revealing home, school, or regular routines
- your young person is unsure who can see them
- they feel watched, uneasy, or unable to turn sharing off safely
- online harassment, threats, or unwanted contact are already happening.
If online harassment is already happening, location sharing, routine posts, and geotagged photos may need urgent review because they can increase real-world visibility. If you think a device may be under surveillance, it may be safer to use a device you trust and get support before changing settings.
Need help right now?
If you would like any advice or support about keeping your whānau safe online Netsafe can help.
If someone’s immediate safety is at risk, call 111.
If you think a device may be under surveillance, it may be safer to use a device you trust and get support before changing settings.
Contact the Netsafe helpline for free, confidential and non-judgmental advice and support.
