geolocated

Geolocated is an adjective describing data, content, or objects that have been associated with geographic coordinates, enabling their placement on a map or within a spatial reference system. Geolocated information is widely used for navigation, analytics, and location-based services.

Geolocation can be determined through several methods, including GNSS satellite navigation (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou) that provide coordinates directly from devices; mobile network triangulation; Wi‑Fi positioning; and, less commonly, IP-address-based inference. In media, coordinates may be embedded in metadata (EXIF) or added by the platform during upload.

Applications of geolocated data include routing and navigation, local search and recommendations, ride‑hailing and logistics, urban planning, environmental monitoring, and content discovery. Geotagging is a related practice where posts, photos, or videos carry geographic tags to indicate place of origin.

Data quality and formats vary. Coordinates are usually expressed in decimal degrees and often rely on the WGS 84 reference system. Accuracy depends on the method and environment; smartphone GPS outdoors can reach several meters, while indoor or dense urban settings degrade precision. Geolocated data may be stored in formats such as GeoJSON or KML.

Privacy and ethics: collecting location data raises privacy considerations and regulatory obligations. Users may grant consent, opt out, or request deletion. Organizations may anonymize or aggregate data for analysis and ensure appropriate security and retention controls. Geofencing and targeted advertising are common but contentious uses.

See also: geotagging, geolocation, GPS.