Location Services Have Die-Hard Fans, But Privacy Is A Big Issue

One of the big selling points for consumers deciding to upgrade their feature-phones to smartphones is “location-based services,” like maps that constantly update themselves as you move. A new study commissioned by Microsoft finds that consumers who are aware of location services are very fond of them, but that they’re also seriously concerned about sharing that information with groups like advertisers—and even with their own social set.

Another finding: There’s a fair amount of confusion about what exactly location-based services are, even among some people who say they are users. The study also contained findings about which location services are the most popular, and which demographic groups are the heaviest users of LBS in general. As smartphones take off, location-based services, in particular, are dramatically increasing the amount of data available to advertisers, and potentially the government.

Here are results of the survey, which polled 1,500 people in five different countries: the US, UK, Canada, Japan and Germany:

• Consumers who use location-based services (LBS) love it
• Only a few want to share their location with others
• Privacy concerns loom large
• Free stuff rules
• Google, Facebook are top dogs in LBS
• There’s confusion over just what LBS is