Social networking behemoth Facebook has added a feature that allows members to share where they are while on the move.

Places, as it is known, marks the company`s first foray into the "location-based services" space, which has become popular with users who want to share where they shop, eat or play.

The product, which uses the GPS on smartphones, works by getting users to tap a "check-in" button to see a list of places near where they are. From there they can choose the place that matches their location and "create a story" in their friends` News Feeds on the site.

Users can also let people know who they are with by "tagging" any Facebook friends, but only as long as they check-in to the location as well.

Clearly stung by previous criticism over the way the company has handled users` privacy in the past, Facebook has taken a different tack this time.

The networking site has given users controls over what and how much information they share on the service. Facebook said Places is about "broadcasting to your friends, not the whole world".

Users can remove themselves if someone tags them. They can also disable the feature if they are not interested.

Places will initially only be available in the US through Facebook`s iPhone app or by logging onto its smartphone site. The company plans to extend the feature to all its 500 million members as soon as it can.

BDST: 1545 HRS, 19 August 2010