What is geotagging? It will play a major role in the census; learn where else it is used and understand it in detail..
Nowadays, whenever we go out or eat at a nice restaurant, we immediately take pictures and post them on social media. Often, the name of the place is also included with those photos. Have you ever wondered how your phone knows where you were at that moment? This is all thanks to geotagging.
In simple terms, geotagging is the process of adding geographical information to any digital file, such as a photo, video, or message. It acts like a postal address for your digital content.
How does this whole system work?
When you take a picture with your smartphone and your GPS is on, the camera adds certain codes to that photo. This includes latitude and longitude. It also records the altitude at which the picture was taken. All this information is hidden in the file's metadata, which you can view in the properties or details section.
Where is geotagging used?
The scope of geotagging is no longer limited to just Facebook or Instagram. It is being used in many fields, from agriculture to census. In recent years, the use of geotagging in agriculture has increased.
The government is using geotagging to give certain crops a digital identity based on their geography. This helps determine which crops are being grown in which areas of the country.
This helps in preserving their varieties.
Companies use it to find out which areas have the most customers. Based on this, you are shown advertisements with special offers in your city.
The government is also preparing to use geotagging in the census. This will make the data extremely accurate and eliminate the possibility of fraud.
Geotagging is also used to determine the exact location of an accident or the victim during a disaster or accident. Scientists also use it to create city maps, monitor road construction, and track the location of animals in forests.
What are the dangers of geotagging?
Every coin has two sides. While geotagging makes things easier, it can also pose a threat to privacy. If you geotag every photo you take and share it publicly, anyone can track your habits and the location of your home and office. Criminals or hackers can use this data to create a movement profile of a person, showing when and where they go. Many companies can sell your location history and bombard you with unwanted advertisements.
How to find out if geotagging is on?
Geotagging is a great tool, provided you use it wisely. Geotagging of photos is usually turned off by default on phones. You can turn it on manually. However, if you want to check, you can go to the Details option of a photo you've taken and see what information is displayed. If location information is not visible, then geotagging is turned off.
Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.
