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There’s now a new way to annoy your friends and overshare, with the Facebook Places location feature going live in the UK.
The roll-out started this morning, so the service will be available within the next couple of days for all Facebook users. You’ll be able to use it through the Facebook for iPhone app, or through its mobile site touch.facebook.com. We used the former to check in at CBS Interactive.
The feature was launched in the US last month. Those of you who’ve used Foursquare will have an idea what it’s all about — it copies the ‘check in’ concept, which uses your smart phone’s GPS to tell people where you are. You add a message saying what you’re up to.
Once Facebook Places finally gets up and running properly, checking in will show you a list of nearby places. You choose where you are, and if it isn’t on the list, search or add it. These check-ins then appear on your friend’s feeds.
There’s also a ‘people here now’ section, where you can see who’s checked in with you at a place for a limited time, meaning you can meet others who share your interest. Or if you’re really adventurous, set up blind dates.
Foursquare is working to integrate with Facebook, so we may see competitive gaming aspects such as badges and mayorships in the future.
Obviously a service like this has its privacy concerns, and we await to see what kind of reception it gets. Importantly it’s very much opt-in — you have to actively check in each time, so you can choose whether you want to use it or not, and who gets to see it.
We reckon it could be a really useful tool for meeting up with random old friends on nights out, just as long as the privacy controls work transparently and reliably.
We’d love to know what you make of Facebook Places now we have it here. Cool new gimmick or a privacy nightmare? Let us know how you feel.
