Secret-Sharing App Tracks Location Of Users

An app described as a platform to anonymously share "innermost thoughts, secrets and feelings" can track the location of its users even if they have asked not to be followed.

Whisper promises its users anonymity and describes itself as "the safest place on the internet" as it encourages people to share snippets of information online.

But the Guardian has reported that it tracks the broad location of users who post using Whisper, even if they have decided to turn off geolocation settings.

The company has previously denied "following or tracking users", but on Monday changed its terms of service to state the following:

"Please bear in mind that, even if you have disabled location services, we may still determine your city, state, and country location based on your IP address (but not your exact location)."

Even a record of the rough location of a user could determine the identity of the user - for example by matching the locations to the deployment record of a member of the armed forces, or a political aide's journey alongside a public figure.

Its terms and conditions also state: "We may also partner with universities or other research institutions or scientists to use the limited information we have in anonymous, controlled research studies."

It is understood to be a reference to work with the US Department of Defense on analysing posts in an effort to reduce suicides within the armed forces.

Whisper has been trying to team up with news organisations as it experiences rapid growth, and has had a long-standing partnership with website Buzzfeed.

But on Thursday a Buzzfeed spokesman said it is now "taking a break" from its partnership with Whisper "until it clarifies to us and its users the policy on user location and privacy".

The previous version of Whisper's terms of use said that "permission to our access to and tracking of your location based information is purely voluntary".

Sky News has asked Whisper for a statement, and posed a number of questions about its systems for monitoring users.