Published on: December 21, 2024
Geofencing is a location-based technology that creates virtual boundaries around a specific area. When a device enters or exits these zones, it triggers actions like sending notifications or logging data. This technology is commonly used in industries like marketing, security, and asset management to automate tasks and provide location-specific services.
While geofencing has many legitimate uses, it can also be misused for tracking and surveillance. Some companies and hackers use it to monitor peoples’ movements without their knowledge, potentially violating their privacy. This can lead to unwanted ads, data collection, or even more sinister activities like targeting individuals for scams or manipulation.
It’s crucial to use software tools that protect your location and personal data. For example, a virtual private network (VPN) such as ExpressVPN can mask your location, making it harder for anyone to track you. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
What Exactly Is Geofencing?
Geofencing is a technology that creates virtual boundaries around a specific area using GPS, RFID, Wi-Fi, or cellular data. When a device enters or exits this zone, it triggers an action, like sending a notification or recording data. These virtual fences can be simple circles or more complex shapes, depending on what’s needed for the task at hand. They can also be as big or small as needed.
Geofencing can be used in:
- Buildings and businesses.
- Certain areas of cities or even entire countries.
- Airports.
- Schools.
- Parking lots.
- Construction sites.
Setting up a geofence involves defining the area you want to track. Once the boundary is set, any device with location-tracking capabilities — like your smartphone — can trigger the geofence action when it crosses the borders of that zone. This happens in real-time, which makes geofencing super useful for things like marketing campaigns, asset tracking, or security alerts.
Different Types of Geofencing
Geofencing can be categorized into 2 types: active and passive. Active geofencing requires user interaction, such as enabling location services or checking in manually. For example, an app might ask you to confirm your location to access specific features or receive location-based notifications.
Passive geofencing, on the other hand, operates in the background without user intervention. It continuously monitors a device’s location and triggers actions when entering or exiting predefined boundaries. This type of geofencing is often used for tracking and automation, such as sending reminders or activating smart home devices when you arrive at a specific location.
Who Uses Geofencing and Why?
Geofencing technology is used by a wide range of industries and individuals. Here’s a look at who deploys geofences and why.
Retailers and Marketers
Retailers and marketers use geofencing to send targeted offers and promotions to customers as they enter a specific area, like a store or shopping mall. This technology allows businesses to gather valuable insights about customer behavior, such as visit frequency and purchasing habits, which helps improve marketing strategies and optimize store layouts.
Parents and Guardians
Parents and guardians can use parental controls to protect their kids’ safety, and the best of these apps commonly include geofencing features that let you set virtual boundaries around any location you like, including schools, parks, neighborhoods, friends’ houses, or anywhere else. You’ll then be sent a notification in real-time if your child enters or exits any of these zones.
Fleet Managers and Delivery Companies
Geofencing helps fleet managers and delivery companies track their vehicles in real-time by setting up virtual boundaries around specific locations like delivery routes or warehouses. It also enables better route planning, ensuring timely deliveries and optimizing operational efficiency by monitoring vehicle movements and reducing fuel consumption.
Security and Surveillance Companies
Security companies deploy geofencing to monitor restricted areas, such as construction sites or private properties, and to send alerts when unauthorized individuals or vehicles enter. This technology also helps optimize patrol routes and track security personnel’s movements, improving response times and ensuring comprehensive site coverage.
Law Enforcement and Government Agencies
Law enforcement and government agencies use geofencing to help them solve crimes. For instance, it’s used for tracking individuals, monitoring crime scenes, or enforcing area-specific restrictions. It also plays a critical role in probation monitoring, with alerts triggered when individuals under supervision enter or exit designated zones.
Potential Downsides and Risks of Geofencing
Geofencing is a powerful tool that comes with certain privacy and security risks. The greatest threat, obviously, is to your privacy. With passive geofencing, you may not even be aware of the information being collected about you. What’s worse, geofencing relies on location-based data, which can be used to build detailed profiles of individuals, revealing personal habits and preferences.
Another major risk is the potential for data breaches. As businesses collect and store location data, there’s always a chance that hackers could target these systems to steal personal information. If a geofence database is compromised, the stolen data can be used for identity theft, fraud, or even stalking. Without proper encryption and secure storage, the data gathered through geofencing can be a goldmine for cybercriminals.
All this means that sensitive personal information can end up in the hands of marketers, advertisers, or even cybercriminals without your consent or even knowledge. Geofencing can also be exploited for targeted phishing scams or other types of cyberattacks that leverage your location to manipulate you.
How to Protect Yourself From the Risks of Geofencing
Protecting yourself from the risks of geofencing requires a combination of tools and strategies that safeguard your privacy and personal data. Here’s what you can do:
- Use a virtual private network (VPN). By masking your IP address and routing your internet traffic through a server in a different location, a good VPN like ExpressVPN makes it appear as though you’re accessing the internet from a different place. This can help bypass geographic restrictions and prevent services from tracking your true location, thus serving a twofold purpose: protecting your privacy and offering more control over the content you can access.
- Use an ad blocker. Reliable ad blockers (like any from this list) can help prevent marketers from using your location for targeted advertising. These tools block trackers that may collect your location data while browsing the web or using mobile apps.
- Adjust your location settings and app permissions. Disable location services for apps that don’t require them, and regularly check app permissions to ensure that only trusted apps have access to your location data.
Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of geofencing?
The purpose of geofencing is to create virtual boundaries around a specific area, enabling automated actions when a device enters or exits that zone. This technology can trigger notifications, log data, or restrict access, making it useful for marketing, security, and operational efficiency. Businesses use geofencing to engage customers, monitor assets, and enforce boundaries.
Geofencing also plays a role in enhancing safety and efficiency. For example, it helps fleet managers optimize routes or alerts security personnel to unauthorized entries. By leveraging location data, geofencing offers tailored solutions for various industries.
What is an example of geofencing?
There are many examples of geofencing. One example is a retailer sending a push notification with a special discount to customers’ smartphones as they enter a store. This helps increase foot traffic and improve customer engagement by targeting people based on their proximity to the store.
Another example is construction companies using geofencing to monitor restricted zones on job sites. When unauthorized personnel or vehicles enter these areas, the system sends alerts to supervisors, helping improve security and prevent accidents.
What are the disadvantages of geofencing?
Geofencing raises privacy concerns because it relies on collecting location-based data, which could be done without your consent. This creates risks of unwanted surveillance or even data breaches, compromising sensitive personal information.