# The Dangers of Selfies **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 5, 2015, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698 "2015-06-05T12:43:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/1 "2015-06-05T12:43:56Z")
1.) Your enemies can use them to pinpoint your location > [@](#): > > Apparently, looks can kill. In a very real story that we assure you did not originate from The Onion, a terrorist from ISIS recently took a selfie of himself and posted it online. > > Shortly thereafter, U.S. Intelligence, which heavily monitors social media accounts from ISIS members and supporters, managed to pinpoint an ISIS headquarters building in Syria by using the selfie photo as a reference point. > **[‘Moron’ terrorist takes a selfie in front of ISIS headquarters, Air Force...](https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/moron-terrorist-takes-selfie-front-isis-headquarters-air-104558006.html)** > > Apparently, looks can kill. In a very real story that we assure you did not originate from The Onion, a terrorist from ISIS recently took a selfie of himself and posted it online. Shortly thereafter, U.S. Intelligence, which heavily monitors social... ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/2 "2015-06-05T15:10:52Z")
I hope he was making duckface. On a more serious note, one hopes that it won’t lead to, say, “terrorists” posting selfies of “ISIS Headquarters” (a disliked neighbor’s house, or a restaurant where they got served a burnt kebab). ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/3 "2015-06-05T15:14:27Z")
They can also make you look really stupid: [https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/27/eb/1a/27eb1a7a8ad977ce758017a6e077f1a8.jpg](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/27/eb/1a/27eb1a7a8ad977ce758017a6e077f1a8.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/4 "2015-06-05T20:57:57Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > They can also make you look really stupid: [https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/27/eb/1a/27eb1a7a8ad977ce758017a6e077f1a8.jpg](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/27/eb/1a/27eb1a7a8ad977ce758017a6e077f1a8.jpg) I don’t understand - do most guys use their left hand as a girlfriend? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/5 "2015-06-05T21:03:37Z")
Sure, sometimes. When I want to change it up. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/6 "2015-06-06T04:03:33Z")
Bigamist. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/7 "2015-06-06T04:06:02Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > I don’t understand - do most guys use their left hand as a girlfriend? No, most guys use their right hand. Unless they invited a stranger over. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/8 "2015-06-06T04:11:19Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Bigamist. No, ambidextrist. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Why\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b782af/32.png) [@Why\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_Child)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/9 "2015-06-06T04:22:44Z")
Or ambidextryst. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/10 "2015-06-06T04:52:55Z")
I’m a little surprised this story was released. Seems like exactly the sort of thing we’d like the bad guys to keep doing, and then see how long it took them to make the connection between “selfie” and “BOOM”. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/11 "2015-06-06T05:01:13Z")
I thought about this a little. ISIS’s way of recruiting, both for cannon fodder to come there and for home-grown hopefuls _is_ through social media. If they stop so doing, it could be detrimental to the cause. Thinking more, well, okay - maybe not selfies. Also, there may be propaganda value for our side in letting the world (and potential recruits) know the kind of brainiacs that can be found among their ranks. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/12 "2015-06-06T08:51:13Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > On a more serious note, one hopes that it won’t lead to, say, “terrorists” posting selfies of “ISIS Headquarters” (a disliked neighbor’s house, or a restaurant where they got served a burnt kebab). This takes doxxing to a whole new level! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-selfies/721698/13 "2015-06-06T12:47:28Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I’m a little surprised this story was released. Seems like exactly the sort of thing we’d like the bad guys to keep doing, and then see how long it took them to make the connection between “selfie” and “BOOM”. But _most_ people know all about this. On a cannabis forum I frequent people share pics of their grows, but are careful to strip all metadata. If a bunch of stoners know to do it, you’d think a terrorist would as well.