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A Cat Mask Won't Save You: Chatroulette Map Exposes Your Location

by Matthew Zuras on March 11, 2010 at 11:10 AM

One of Chatroulette's most enticing features is its anonymity. The user who would be otherwise reticent to appear on a webcam for a stranger -- in any stage of dress -- has been emboldened by the fact that he and his partner have no idea who the other is. This is also one of the main reasons that so many disembodied genitals tend to appear on any given Chatroulette session; with no names, e-mails, or other methods of contact, Chatroulette users are free to be whoever -- and show whatever -- they want.

Not so, anymore. An (ironically) anonymous developer has recently launched Chatroulette Map, which zeroes in on your broadcast location. Chatroulette directly connects users to one another, exposing their IP addresses. Chatroulette Map exploits this feature by grabbing your IP, an attached screenshot of your coordinates, and situating you on its Google map.

What's creepy about Chatroulette Map (or titillating, depending on your tastes) is the fact that you can zoom close to home, and see who in your environs is broadcasting their bits. It may make bumping into the neighbors at the supermarket even more awkward. Of course, the site is also sure to fascinate those mashup fiends who are keen on usage statistics. We find it interesting, for example, that at the time of this writing there are practically no cams originating from Russia (where Chatroulette was born), while it looks as though all of the U.S. and Europe are having a webcam party. As with Chatroulette, CR Map is potentially very NSFW, so be cautious when clicking through. [From: Chatroulette Map, via: Laughing Squid]

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Tags: chatroulette, ChatrouletteMap, geotagging, gps, hack, IpAddress, location-based, mosoco, socialnetworking, top

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