Facebook set to tell everyone where you are

Facebook users will be able to see where their friends are starting next month.

The social networking juggernaut will roll out location status updates - showing where friends are in news feeds.

A New York Times blog reported that the new features will be announced at f8, the company's annual developer conference, in April.

In its updated privacy policy, which was updated in November last year, it hinted at location features: "When you share location with others or add a location to something you post, we treat that like any other content you post".

It also hinted that users will be given the ability to opt in to the new feature.

Facebook has been hit with numerous privacy concerns as its user base has swelled to an unbelievable 400 million worldwide.

The Times quoted an unidentified person it said had been briefed on the project saying that there would be a two-fold approach taken with location features.

One would be the expected location sharing on users' new feeds; the other releasing API (application programmer interface) tools to allow developers to create their own location-based services for Facebook users.

While it appears that Facebook is aping smaller networks like FourSquare, it is more likely taking aim at Google's location-based advertising features, the Times source says.

- NZ HERALD STAFF