 |
| Source: http://www.techbuzzonline.com/smartphone-privacy-are-you-safe/ |
A smartphone provides the great number of free apps; social network, games, books, shopping, and more. Are they free, indeed? Why? An author in the student paper (Concordiensis) indicates that these apps are "selling our information" (http://www.concordy.com/article/science-and-technology/february-23-2012/smartphone-privacy-applications-that-sell-your-information/3902/). According to the author, the apps from Angry Birds to Bible apps sell personal information, which was pulled out from Unique Device Identifier (UDID), to ad or other companies.
Anyone who has used a smartphone would experience this at least once; after a user posts something on Facebook via his/her smartphone, a kind of caption is left, "near *** (city name), *** (state name)". Although a user didn't set a location, the weather app finds the exact location of the user and provides weather information. How do they know? "Many apps that are location-based do attempt to determine your location as soon as you launch them" (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218163/Smartphone_apps_Is_your_privacy_protected). GPS tracking system in smartphones allows them to find the users' location.
Nobody can deny that a smartphone is one of the strongest devices that will lead the future technology. However, the security of privacy should be also discussed with the development of the technology. The agreement with six companies to the privacy policy is an example (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/23/us-privacy-harris-idUSTRE81L2BH20120223).
Further readings:
No comments:
Post a Comment