- Surfshark has launched HeyPolo, the first location sharing app
- The app leaves continuous tracking “always on” for user-controlled, timed visibility
- A single subscription allows users to invite unlimited friends and family.
Location tracking apps are a double-edged sword in modern families, incredibly useful for physical security, but often a complete nightmare for digital privacy.
Now, the cybersecurity team behind Surfshark, one of the best VPN services on the market, is looking to redress that balance with the launch of a new app called HeyPolo.
Announced today, HeyPolo is billed as a privacy-first alternative to traditional location tracking software.
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Rather than relying on the continuous, invasive surveillance that powers most tracker apps out there, HeyPolo is built entirely around user consent. Users get to decide exactly who sees their location, how accurate that location is, and exactly when sharing stops.
The launch marks another major expansion for the cybersecurity company, which already boasts a proven antivirus, private search engine, and data removal tool Incogni.
Announcing the launch, Edvinas Sersniovas, CEO at HeyPolo, explained the personal motivation behind the project: “As a father myself, I wanted to create an app that would help me ensure the safety of my family while respecting and protecting their data at the same time.”
How HeyPolo deals with “ghost” tracking.
HeyPolo’s main differentiator is its refusal to rely on automatic, always-on tracking.
In many common applications, users often forget that they are broadcasting their links, which leads to dangerous monitoring, around the clock.
To combat this “ghost” tracking, HeyPolo allows users to set specific start and end times for their broadcasts. When the timer expires, tracking stops completely.
The app offers tiered visibility options. Users are not obliged to share their exact point on the map; they can choose to show the general area or switch to a completely private mode. Transparency is baked right into the interface, ensuring you always know exactly who is viewing your site in real time.
“People want security, but they don’t want to give up their independence or feel controlled by those they trust,” Sersniovas said. “We’re changing the perception that sharing space should equal surveillance.”
Strong stance on data sales
Free location-sharing apps often make money by selling incredibly sensitive movement data to advertisers and third-party data brokers. HeyPolo, leveraging the privacy pedigree of the Surfshark and Incogni group, promises a completely different business model that puts user security first.
The company clearly affirms in its launch announcement that it will “never sell, monetize, or exploit user location data,” and notes that all location data is encrypted while in transit.
This means that as your location data travels from your phone to the app’s servers, it is decipherable and unreadable by potential hackers or snoops.
Instead of privately selling your data to keep the lights on, the service operates on a premium subscription model. Fortunately, a single registration goes a long way: it allows the user to create unlimited groups and invite friends, colleagues, and older relatives at no additional cost.
For those who want to give it a try, HeyPolo is currently available for download on both the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store.
