Divorce Tech Issues Part IV: Beware of Location Sharing Apps

In the digital age, we share a lot about ourselves, sometimes without even knowing it — even where we are at any given moment.  That’s because of location sharing apps.  During or after divorce, you may not want your partner to know where you are all the time.

So, here’s what you have to do: disable your whereabouts on location-sharing apps where you can follow and be followed by friends, such as Find My Friends (iOS) or Google+ (Android/iOS).    Remove these apps or take your partner off your list of allowed friends.

Remember to also uninstall family tracking apps you may have downloaded for peace of mind, such as Phone Tracker (iOS/Android) or Family Tracker (iOS/Android). Other apps of concern include Connect, Trick or Tracker, Phone Tracker, Accu Tracking.

Finally, make sure your partner can’t access your Find My iPhone (via iCloud), Android Device Manager, My Windows Phone, or BlackBerry Protect accounts, where they could otherwise track your phone (and your whereabouts) using features intended for locating lost or stolen phones.

Do one last check by going through every app on your list, ensuring that none are sharing your location with unwelcome users. If you’re worried about being stalked, you may also want to turn off location-sharing on Facebook and on Twitter, and cut down on the Foursquare check-ins.

Finally, in Massachusetts and under Federal law, you could run afoul of strict privacy and anti-stalking laws if you follow your spouse through any of these methods.  For more information:

Eavesdropping / Wiretap
G.L. c.272 s.99
G.L. c.265 s.43 (Stalking – could apply to cyberstalking)
18 U.S.C. s.2510 et seq. (Wiretap Act)
18 U.S.C. s.2701 et seq (Stored Communications Act)

NOTE FROM FIELDS AND DENNIS — THIS IS PART OF A SERIES ON CYBER ISSUES AND DIVORCE.  FOR MORE SEE HERE.