When talking to colleagues and friends, it appears that folks do not understand how their smartphones work and the data that can be accessed through them. This prompted me to again give basic steps that can be used to protect personal information that can be accessed, legitimately and in an unauthorized manner through the settings
Smartphones
Google Tracking of Android Users Goes Beyond the Expected
By Sean Lawless on
Posted in Cybersecurity, Uncategorized
By now most smartphone users are aware of location tracking used by both Apple and Android operating systems. Basic location tracking is a system which uses GPS data to know the phone user’s location. However, according to a recent article published by Quartz, Google’s data collection goes far beyond basic location tracking. Not only does the data collected go beyond simple location information, but the ‘Opt In’ service Google uses to collect that data, Location History, isn’t as truly Opt In as users might expect. According to Quartz, Google’s Location History underlies many of Android’s main apps, including Google Assistant and Google Maps. Furthermore, Opting In to Location History for one app may actually give many apps access to Location History’s data and the ability to send that data to Google.
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Privacy Tip #119 – Getting the Newest Smartphone as a Gift? Take Care When Downloading Apps
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
‘Tis the season for gift giving. Smartphones and mobile devices are a hot item during the holidays. The first thing many people do when they get a new phone or device is to start downloading apps. Since there will be a lot of downloading over the next week, here are some tips to help you…