# Turn off live location sharing when you don't need it, National CERT and NTC warn phone users

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/technology/turn-off-live-location-sharing-when-you-dont-need-it-national-cert-and-ntc-warn)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 16 Oct 2026
Updated: 16 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 17 Oct 2026

> A Cybersecurity Awareness Month advisory says your live location can reveal where you live, when you are away and who you meet. Here is how to switch it off on your phone.

Pakistan's **National Computer Emergency Response Team (National CERT)** and the **National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC)** have advised phone users to **turn off location sharing when it is not needed** and to review the privacy settings on their devices and apps, in an advisory issued for Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026, [ProPakistani reported](https://propakistani.pk/2026/10/16/govt-wants-users-to-disable-this-phone-setting/) on Friday.

## What the advisory warns about

According to National CERT, location data shows more than a dot on a map. Shared over time, it can reveal:

* **Where you live and work**, and the places you visit often.
* **When you are at home or away**, which can expose a house to burglary or a person to stalking.
* **Your daily routine** and habits.
* **Who you meet**, by showing the people you regularly spend time with.

The advisory asks people to be careful with apps that offer live location updates or let location be shared with others, and to think before sharing personal details online and offline.

## How to turn it off

These are the standard settings on current phones:

* **Android:** Settings, Location, then turn off "Use location", or open App permissions to set each app to "Allow only while using the app" or "Don't allow".
* **iPhone:** Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services. Set each app to "Never" or "While Using", and under Share My Location turn sharing off.
* **WhatsApp:** live location stops on its own at the end of the time you chose, but you can end it early from the chat with "Stop sharing". Check Settings, Privacy, Live location to see any chat you are still sharing with.
* **Photos:** turn off location tags in the camera settings so pictures you post do not carry the place they were taken.
* **Social media:** avoid tagging your home, and post holiday pictures after you are back.

## Part of a series of warnings

This is National CERT's latest advice this month. It earlier warned about [fake NADRA, FBR and BISP websites](/news/technology/fake-nadra-fbr-and-bisp-websites-stealing-logins-national-cert-alert-how-to-spot) stealing logins and issued [rules on VPNs for government staff](/news/technology/pakistan-govt-staff-can-use-only-approved-vpns-says-national-cert-handbook).

If you are buying a new phone, check what you will pay in duty with the [PTA mobile tax calculator](/tools/telecom/pta-mobile-tax-calculator).

## Frequently asked questions

**Why does National CERT say to turn off location sharing?**

Its advisory says location data can reveal where you live and work, when you are away from home, your routine and who you meet, which can lead to stalking or tracking.

## Sources

- Govt Wants Users to Disable This Phone Setting (ProPakistani): https://propakistani.pk/2026/10/16/govt-wants-users-to-disable-this-phone-setting/

How to cite: "Turn off live location sharing when you don't need it, National CERT and NTC warn phone users", Searchable, 16 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/technology/turn-off-live-location-sharing-when-you-dont-need-it-national-cert-and-ntc-warn