Facebook Places has been launched in the UK, allowing users to “check in” to locations via their iPhones, meet up with friends who are nearby and receive information about local services and attractions. Fans of the new app claim Places will help to bring social media into the real world, as sites such as Facebook are increasingly accessed via mobiles by people on the move.
Arguably the size of Facebook will mean acquaintances are more likely to meet in person through Places than they were through existing services such as Foursquare and Gowalla, leading to recent speculation about the chances these smaller sites have of surviving. However, according to the product manager for Places, Michael Sharon, the company have made their API software available, allowing existing location-based sites to interact and integrate with the new app.
Places may also prove to be a useful guide to new venues, as people tend to value recommendations made by friends over more formal reviews. Advertising will be targeted directly at users and reward schemes may be introduced, like the ones currently offered by Foursquare, encouraging customer loyalty and word of mouth marketing.
As in the US, criticism of the app in the UK has largely focused on privacy. Friends who have checked in to the same location can be tagged, informing non-friends of their whereabouts without consent. However, many steps have been taken by Facebook to protect users, particularly minors, whose location can only be viewed by friends.
For the time being, the BBC’s technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones, remains sceptical of the widespread appeal Places will have, while other experts have suggested that if Places is to have an impact on social media such changes will develop slowly.
Nevertheless, with Facebook now attracting more users than Google, there can be no doubt that Places will make it easier for us to meet up with the people we want to see. And to avoid the people we don’t!
Skype us