Location settings

What are location settings?​

Location settings control how companies access and use your child’s geographical location. ​

Lots of apps, mobile games, social media and devices will ask for permission to access location information. It’s important to choose carefully because location sharing can reveal where your child lives, studies, travels, and spends time.​

How does location information work in practice?​

• Social media apps: adding location to posts, showing nearby friends, location-based stories, local event recommendations, or checking-in at places.​
• Video sharing apps: adding location tags to videos, suggesting local content, or showing trending videos in the local area.​
• Gaming apps: location-based gameplay, finding nearby players, or unlocking region-specific content.​

Can I manage location settings?​

Location sharing can sometimes be useful but it’s a good idea to check each app and consider whether it’s really needed. ​

Most apps offer a choice between sharing precise location, approximate location, or no location. You could also consider allowing location access only while an app is in use, rather than enabling continuous tracking in the background.​

Some apps automatically switch location-sharing off for under 18s. But if your child isn’t using their real age, this will disable all the protections available to them.