While we're learning about companies that secretly track your movements through your smartphone, those folks who volunteer their whereabouts may be in for a rude awakening: a bump in home insurance premiums. It's what one insurance company predicts will happen, after a recent poll that showed people habitually post their whereabouts on social networks.
UK-based AA Home Insurance conducted the poll, which found nearly 43 percent of its 17- to 24-year-old participants admitted to letting the world know where they were, and it the number may be even higher among younger teens. Nearly 26 percent of 25- to 35-year-old participants said they also posted their comings and goings via check-in services (such as Foursquare and Facebook Places) and other proclamations on Twitter, Facebook and other sites.
Overall, the numbers aren't as high, but they're still alarming enough: 10 percent of the respondents confessed to airing their travel plans —and when their house would be unoccupied —and 8 percent said another person in their household let such info slip.
Finally, women are more likely to share their travels on social network sites: nearly 14 percent vs. about 7 percent of men.
"While you might enjoy sharing your location with friends and picking up handy geo-specific information, you could also be tipping burglars off that you’re not home," John Farrell, commercial director of AA Insurance, told Siliconrepublic. "Even more importantly, users should never list their home as a location when checked into any of these services."
In the end, consumers may get a double whammy: the violation of being burgled, and then an increase in premiums, Farrell said:
When sourcing a home insurance quote, homeowners could find themselves being asked whether they’re active on social networking sites, as well as whether or not they have security locks and an approved intruder alarm installed.
Homeowners whose properties are burgled having let their holiday plans slip online may even see a knock-on effect on their subsequent home-insurance premiums.
Social media is fast becoming a major research tool for burglars and an ill thought out tweet could end up costing you thousands.
Here are some tips from AA (and yes, while some may seem like a "duh!" to you, to others, they need to be told):
- Don't accept friend requests from people you don’t know.
- Review your security settings on social networks to restrict access to your personal profile information.
- Use private DM (direct messages on Twitter) or inbox facilities to communicate private or potentially sensitive messages.
- Never post your mobile number or home address on social media sites.
- Remove wall postings from friends that may allude to your travel plans.
- Remember that when you join a social media group, thousands of people could potentially have access to your profile unless you adjust your security settings.
- Don’t boast online about the expensive new flat-screen TV you’ve just bought.
More stories:
- Site judges shadiness of your favorite hangouts
- Apple, Google tap phone location data: report
- Survey: Mobile app users wary of sharing location
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