Nearby Friends as an optional feature being rolled out by Facebook (USA first) that tracks your location in real-time, allowing you to be notified when your Facebook friends are close by. Thereby allowing you both to make contact and catch up…say over a coffee at your local café that you have liked on Facebook that has also paid Facebook for the opportunity to be promoted to you.
When is it available?
Currently it is being rolled out across the USA, with other countries to follow.
Who can use it?
Currently it is available as an opt in option on your phone and is only available to people over the age of 18. To connect with your friends you both have to have opted into to ‘Nearby Friends”
You will also have the ability to choose who can see if you’re nearby. This can be category specific such as close friends, family or other lists you create. It can also be turned on at off as you require it. You can also choose to share a precise location with the particular friends you choose for a set period of time, such as the next 20 minutes.
Capturing you on the move
This will become a lucrative income generating stream for Facebook as they link people's travel habits and activities with brands and services. You decide to meet up with a friend and you could be offered vouchers or other incentives by cafés as a location to meet up. Alternatively you might also get offers from retailers who know you are nearby and that you have liked their page.
This feature is similar to FourSquare where you can locate your other social fiends on a map, and in turn make contact with them. Nearby Friends will be available on Android and iPhone in the US over the coming weeks.
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