Foursquare Gives Your Phone Number Away
I was recently surprised to find out that Foursquare shares your phone number with friends you add through their service. I discovered this because I’d received a text from a friend who had texted me via the tool but who’s phone number I didn’t have saved in my phone.
I’m perfectly happy to share my phone number with friends I see all the time, and understand that Foursquare is only fun if your friends on the tool are your friends in real life. However the functionality to message someone should either only extend through the tool, or it should be very VERY clear that you’re sharing your phone number when you add someone to the service.
The site requires you to enter your phone number when signing up online, so its not an issue with the app accessing it directly from your phone. However there’s a big difference between friends I’d add on an online service and friends I give my phone number to. From a safety perspective it’s very important to make this distinction.
Shaking my fist at you Foursquare, and hoping you change your ways soon.
