From your daily movements to intimate conversations, this guide sheds light on how smartphones are not just tools for communication but also powerful trackers of our personal lives, raising significant privacy considerations.
Everywhere You’ve Been
Smartphones, both Androids and iPhones, come equipped with “Location Services,” a feature that meticulously tracks every location you’ve visited. While draining the cellphone battery, it’s indispensable for apps like Uber or Airbnb. Unfortunately, this data about your whereabouts also becomes a goldmine for hackers, posing potential risks to your privacy.
Everything You Tell Siri
Apple’s Siri, the voice-activated assistant, meticulously learns from every interaction to tailor its responses better to your needs. According to Apple’s software license agreement, this involves analyzing your pronunciation and search trends. However, this data is linked to a random ID rather than your Apple account to protect your privacy.
Personal IDs
The revelation that OnePlus, a China-based Android smartphone manufacturer, utilized personal identification details, including device passcodes, highlights a significant privacy concern. This incident, reminiscent of the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandals, raises some very alarming questions about how tech companies may be covertly accessing and using our most sensitive information.
Passwords
Choosing convenience by saving passwords on smartphones comes with some risks. Allowing apps to store login details risks data exposure, especially on less secure sites. For safety, consider traditional methods like noting passwords in a secure document or on paper, ensuring they’re in a safe place away from prying eyes.
All Your Texts
iPhone users who delete their texting/iMessage conversations might be surprised to learn that Apple retains these messages in an encrypted form for an unspecified “limited period.” Apparently, this measure ensures messages are delivered and read correctly. However, the ambiguity surrounding the duration raises questions: is it minutes or potentially years?
Everything You Tell Google
Signing into an Android device with your Google account makes your smartphone a portal to all your Google-related data, including apps like Chrome, Play Store, and Gmail. This integration grants your phone access to the extensive information Google collects, such as call durations and types, device specifics, and location details.
Your Travelling Speed
Your iPhone’s uncanny ability to predict travel time to frequently visited locations showcases its intricate tracking capabilities. Location services monitor your whereabouts and record your arrival and departure times, analyzing these patterns to provide timely notifications. Disable location services in settings if you find this feature more unsettling than helpful.
All the Data You Give Apps
Numerous Android and iPhone apps collect extensive user data. You can control what they access through settings. However, apps like Facebook require privacy adjustments made from within the app itself. Beware, modifying these settings can impact app functionality, such as disabling Facebook’s “Check In” feature when location services are off.
How You’re Feeling
Social media activity can offer insights into our moods. And smartphones can predict emotional states. A study by Venet Osmani at CREATE-NET, involving 12 bipolar patients over four months, demonstrated this. Using phone sensors to monitor activity and location, researchers could predict mood swings with a staggering 94 percent accuracy!
Who You Know And Where They Are
Your smartphone knows everyone you know, from saved contacts to social media connections. It not only keeps a log of every call and text, revealing who you communicate with most frequently, but also tracks locations shared through messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, iMessage, WhatsApp, and even travel-oriented apps like CityMapper.
