Apps are increasingly part of our day-to-day lives – from checking the weather forecast to turning on the heating, there really is an app for everything these days.
But many apps are quietly collecting your data in the background – something many of us don’t even realise is going on. The best-case scenario is that companies are simply using your data to send out tailored advertisements to your phone, whereas the worst-case scenario is that your data is sold to criminals as part of a data breach.
What Can I Do to Keep My Data Safe?
Privacy policies are usually offered when you sign up for an app, but do any of us have the time or inclination to read them from start to finish? Luckily, experts advise that you should be safe to skip to the part which details what data the app will collect. Keep an eye out for those which collect a lot of personal data, and pay attention also to any details of third parties which will be privy to the data.
Many apps use a safe, reliable data collection company such as Shepper to collect data without passing it to any third parties. You can even scan through to check for keywords such as ‘sale’ or ‘collect’ which may give an indication as to whether your data can be sold on.
Spend a few minutes checking out privacy details before you download an app. Whether it’s on Android or iPhone, find a section entitled ‘App Privacy’ or ‘App Permissions’. Either should inform you what data the app will collect while in use.
What Other Steps Can I Take?
It’s worth thinking twice about downloading apps which require a considerable amount of personal data before they can be downloaded. Consider using a browser version instead, which will likely ask for none, according to experts at Time.
It’s also worth periodically going over your current apps and deleting any you don’t use or which seem to collect larger than normal amounts of data.