Location Sharing Feature Expanded from 1 Hour to Unlimited
Mixed Reactions from Users Over Location Sharing Update
Kakao has significantly expanded the feature that allows users to check friends' locations on KakaoTalk, extending the previous one-hour limit to unlimited tracking through its latest update. This update has sparked mixed reactions among users, with some expressing concerns about "invasion of privacy," while others find it "convenient."
According to Kakao Map on November 18, Kakao updated its Talk Friend Location Sharing service to the new "Friend Location" feature on November 12. The Talk Friend Location Sharing service was first launched in 2019. Previously, KakaoTalk friends could check each other's locations for a limited time, provided both parties agreed. Users could choose to share their location for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour.
With the updated "Friend Location" feature, users can now check each other's locations in real time without any time restriction. Unless a user manually ends location sharing, both parties can continuously view each other's locations. However, explicit consent is required before activating this service. Users under the age of 14 must obtain parental consent. If a user does not want to share their location, they can temporarily hide their location or stop sharing at any time. The "Friend Location" feature is not available in anonymous open chat rooms or group chats with more than 100 participants. Location sharing is limited to KakaoTalk friends only.
Nevertheless, reactions to Kakao's location-sharing update remain divided. The majority of negative responses center around privacy concerns, with comments such as, "Whether it's parents, partners, or friends, people with strong controlling tendencies will force others to share their location," "I don't want my girlfriend to know my real-time location," and "It will be used for surveillance." On the other hand, some users have pointed out its usefulness, saying, "It would be helpful for friends who often get lost," "It could be beneficial for dementia patients," and "Parents can safely keep track of their children's whereabouts."
KakaoTalk Amid Controversy: Actual User Exodus Remains 'Minimal'
According to WiseApp Retail on this day, the monthly active users (MAU) of KakaoTalk last month stood at 47.97 million. This represents only a 0.4% decrease from August's MAU of 48.19 million. A WiseApp Retail representative explained, "Considering the statistical margin of error, the change in user numbers can be interpreted as almost negligible."
In October, the monthly active users (MAU) of the KakaoTalk app stood at 47.97 million, showing only a 0.4% decrease compared to August's 48.19 million, according to WiseApp Retail.
Other messenger apps, which were expected to benefit from a "spillover effect" due to the KakaoTalk overhaul, also saw little change. Last month, NateOn's MAU increased by 94.5% to 550,000 users. Although the growth rate was high, the actual MAU figure was the lowest among the apps tracked by WiseApp Retail. KakaoTalk remained the most-used messenger app among Koreans last month, followed by Discord with 6.44 million users, Telegram with 4.28 million, Facebook Messenger with 1.58 million, WeChat with 1.18 million, WhatsApp with 1.06 million, and NateOn with 550,000.
Kakao achieved record-breaking results following the KakaoTalk overhaul. Both revenue and operating profit reached all-time highs on a quarterly basis, and KakaoTalk's user engagement time also rebounded. Previously, the average time users spent on KakaoTalk had been stabilizing at a lower level. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the average daily engagement time increased by only about 10 seconds. In contrast, after the overhaul, the time spent on the Friends tab and Now tab-both of which faced heavy criticism-increased by 10% compared to the third-quarter average.
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