During the lecture we have talked about how mobile phone companies determine whether the mobile phone user is a female or a male by tracking the temperature of the phone. What else can our phones tell about us? I discovered that the gender determination is just a tip of the iceberg.
As the mobile technology advances, we are getting more and more dependent on our phones. In 2015, the daily usage of mobile phones outpaced the one of computers (on the average, 2.8 hours versus 2.4 hours). As a result, with each generation the mobile phones are more innovative, work even more seamlessly and have enhanced features. They have a myriad of sensors the majority of people are not even aware of: accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, proximity sensors. In their basic function, these sensors facilitate the functioning of the phone. However, if misused, usually by third-party applications, they unearth the phone user’s private information without his knowledge. For example, the sensors allow the applications to track the phone owner’s location, record his voice, keep information on who he is calling and how long the call lasted, or even read the PIN number or subscribe the user to the premium paid services without his agreement. Not only do these applications gather this information, they are also considered as notorious in selling the data to other companies who are interested in a more detailed targeting of the consumers. Moreover, the newest devices also have a fingerprint scanner or heartbeat and pulse detector built in. This may be even more profitable, as it is invaluable for companies such as e.g. health insurance firms.
How can we protect ourselves from data leakage? The first step would be to uninstall the applications we do not use and adjust privacy settings of the rest of them. We should also always question whether a third party application owners have ulterior motives of accessing our data. However, even after all the precautions, we should still remain aware that the advancements in our phones are inevitably connected with giving up on some of our privacy.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/sep/29/how-secure-is-your-smartphone
https://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/sensory-overload-how-your-smartphone-is-becoming-part-of-you-1210244
