This content was created by Robert Siciliano. This content was uploaded by Robert Siciliano. This is a YouTube video (Good Morning America segment) titled "GPS Dating: There's an App for That, but Know the Risks Robert Siciliano www.IDTheftSecurity.com" published on 2010-09-03. The excerpt is a TV news piece about the emerging trend of GPS-based dating apps: anchors (labelled SPEAKER A and SPEAKER B) introduce the story, Bianca Rodriguez reports on-the-street examples, and the segment features users Brian Gettleman and Aisha/Ayesha who met via a GPS app, plus Christian Wicklund (founder of Scout) discussing safety/privacy measures. The report covers how the apps work, a success story, user reactions, and expert warnings about location/privacy risks. Metadata notes the clip is from YouTube and the title references Robert Siciliano/IDTheftSecurity.com though he does not appear in the provided transcript.
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And coming up on Good Morning America, I couldn't believe this one. I know, but if you're looking for love, could a GPS lead you in the right direction?
Who knew?
It's the latest in high-tech dating, but does it really work and is it safe? Diana hit the streets to find out.
Coming up this half hour, this is so fascinating. When I read the note on this, GPS technology can get you where you want to go in your car, for example, but can it put you on the road to romance? We're going to show you how the latest dating craze is bringing together singles in a whole new way. They're using that GPS technology to find other like-minded singles, people with whom they have something in common.
Boy, that is one of those things that just makes you feel old.
No more trolling the nightclubs looking for the right guy. Apparently you can find it, it's gonna be just down the street.
You know, the path to true love often takes twists, turns, even runs into dead ends, which is why you may need a little direction. And believe it or not, there is an app for that now too. So Bianca Rodriguez here with the latest trend in high-tech hookups, GPS dating.
GPS dating. From your cell phone, your BlackBerry, to the streets, to your heart. People always say that the love of your life could be right around the corner, But thanks to technology, you don't have to depend on fate to find out. All you have to do is follow your heart and your GPS. You got mail. When online dating made its debut in the 1990s, it spawned a hit Hollywood movie, dozens of websites, and a whole new way to meet and fall in love. But now, say a growing number of singles, those once modern sites are so last century. There's a new dating game in town. GPS dating. You heard that right. GPS, the technology responsible for the sound of this— In 0.1 miles, turn left. —is now responsible for the sound of this. Brian Gettleman used a GPS dating application on his cell phone when he was buying a cup of coffee in the Time Warner Shopping Center. Turns out Aisha Bali was using the same application and saw his profile. I saw him on and I— his smile really caught my attention. His picture was very handsome. It turned out she was right downstairs, two floors beneath me, kind of on a break at work, and she's like, "Come on down, come say hi." So whether you're at a farmers market, a park, or out with a group of friends, singles can now find out who else in their immediate vicinity is looking for a love match. And if a profile is appealing, a would-be Romeo or Juliet simply has to send someone a text. If there's a mutual Mutual interest, they can meet within just minutes. Brian and Ayesha say the advantage of GPS dating is that it doesn't take as much time as internet dating. But internet security experts warn that the potential disadvantages are considerable.
Somebody knows your location, they just tap you on the shoulder and all of a sudden you're having a conversation with this person, you don't realize how they know about you.
Christian Wicklund is the founder of Scout, one of a half dozen GPS dating sites servicing nearly 2 million people. He says Scout takes pains to make certain that the exact street address from where a user is messaging cannot be determined. One of the safety features that we built in is that no one can ever figure out exactly where you are. You have to tell the person that, "Hey, let's meet up." Still, he encourages people to use common sense when using GPS dating, like agreeing to meet in public locations, and when in doubt, to meet dates with friends. To find out how effective GPS dating is, we recruited 4 women to test the new technology. Within minutes, they found dozens of potential suitors in the general vicinity. Moments later came the first message. He's already commenting on her name. On my username. Username. But while there was plenty of flirting, our ladies didn't find anyone they actually wanted to meet. When we spoke an hour ago, you were open-minded, willing to try it out. You still open-minded? Still willing to pursue it? Yeah, I mean, sure. As for Bryan and Ayesha, 2 years after meeting on a GPS-facilitated whim, Bryan flew Ayesha to Paris and proposed, presenting her with his grandmother's diamond ring. I would have never have thought this could have happened like this.
I never thought I might find someone I met the girl I love.
So this is a trend that's really picked up steam in cities like San Francisco and New York, and they're expecting it to spread throughout the country.
So did the women you were with, did they like it?
You know, it's interesting talking to them. They talk about how hard it is to date in New York, that they're exhausted and they're desperate, so at this point they might as well try anything. And the same guy that tweeted one and messaged one was doing the same with the other and saying he's, you know, 5 feet away, 0 feet away. Jerks. Jerks. And they're beautiful, great girls.
Okay, so what do you think of all this? Go to our website at abcnews.com/gma, weigh in. I want to hear about it.
