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DU students now have the ability to utilize the application Foursquare, the controversial worldwide location-based networking tool, thanks to a push from USG.
The service, which allows people to “check in” to their location when they go somewhere, was first launched at DU around February and is still in its piloting phase, according to freshman senator J.P. Griego.
People who use Foursquare to check into various locations are eligible for rewards, building up points at the places they check in to the most – even attaining the title of “Mayor” of that location if they frequent it often enough.
Although the app can do a lot of positive things, the setbacks are a looming cause for concern among students on campus.
Some, like junior Claudia Alvarado, are unsure about the app.
“I’m paranoid,” she said.
She admitted that while it may be fun to stay connected with tools like Foursquare, there were “more cons than pros.”
“You don’t know how many psychos are out there,” she said. “Even among your friends.”
Alvarado’s not alone. Across the U.S. and in other parts of the world, many have voiced concern over the application and the encroachment on people’s privacy – people who often do not realize just how much information they are making available to the public. An article published last year in the UK Guardian titled “How I became a Foursqare cyberstalker” detailed one journalist’s investigation into just how much information he could find out about the strangers around him.
Griego admits that the tool ought to be used with caution.
“God knows that there are a lot of people who would take advantage of that and say, ‘Well, if she’s here, then [I will be too],'” he said.
But he also emphasized the security measures people can enact when using the tool.
“One of the cool security things about Foursquare is you can actually choose to share it with friends,” Griego said.
And even when people choose to use it with friends, he added, they can opt just who gets to see it – even if it’s just between them and, say, the Coors Fitness Staff.
“I think the cool thing about our generation is we’re willing to take a step forward,” said Griego, referencing people’s willingness to be connected and share more information now than ever before.
Perhaps for many students, then, the real question is not so much privacy but whether or not it’s a good idea to use Foursquare when they are holed up in the library, studying for finals.
Despite the controversy regarding privacy, there are benefits to using the app.
One of Foursquare’s founders has likened it to the VIP rewards services offered by airlines and hotels. Now, people can earn “VIP” status just about anywhere. This rewards system is a benefit that Griego sees as a key reason to use Foursquare around campus, including Ben and Jerry’s, Chipotle and the DU Coors Fitness Center.
Griego points out that if one checks in frequently enough to become Mayor of the fitness center, points can go towards things like towels, drinks, even snacks.
“DU is in support of a healthy lifestyle. We kind of wanted to hop on that train and say that if you’re using it, we also want to reward you,” he said.
