More Mobile Apps, More Privacy Concerns
Did it ever occur to you that as more mobile apps are fed into the market, more new privacy concerns are raised? Those who have smartphones find it very easy to click on any application and download it without second thought. They simply accept all of what is contained in the fine print without paying attention to the app’s terms and conditions. They have no information about the privacy implications that go along with using those products.
Most service terms and security policies are written by lawyers, and that is why they seem to be meaningless to the lay man. Many users make the extra effort to read the fine print, but they eventually give up due to the lengthy litanies of legalese. The reason of course is clear; because they are hard for the lay man to comprehend. Consequently, as more users disregard the value of understanding those terms and conditions, more privacy concerns appear.
Thinking further, does reading and understanding those terms and conditions promise privacy? Normally, a user gives up some of his or her personal information in exchange for a product. The determining factor would be how much information the user is ready to share. The user’s readiness would also be determined by how that shared data will be used by the data mining company. Many users do not care about their privacy as an exchange for the benefits and convenience that they could get.
The number of mobile apps today is going through the roof, with almost 600,000 sold by Apple alone. There would also be a flood of privacy implications if each of these apps has its own terms of service and privacy policies. Many ugly stories have been told in the past about how personal data is being downloaded by gaming apps. Users are on the losing end because they are haunted by targeted ads and other annoying tricks.
The invasion of new apps is impossible to stop because of their popularity and attractiveness. Many users are expected to be interested in and curious about them. Most users would dive into the sea of apps without even knowing them except for a very few. It goes without saying that the accessibility of these products makes it even easier for users to download them.
Several groups at present are trying to reach out to those less informed users. They try to instruct them on how they could safeguard their privacy. One of the activities that they carry out is how to make users conscious of the information that they share. They are looking for easier ways that users would know what information about them is being gathered. This task is a difficult one to accomplish because at present, less than 50% of apps post their privacy policies. Privacy concerns involving mobile apps need to be resolved fast.
renmeg3 Says:
Very good and informative text.In a real way, the author draws attention to the problem that exists.More or less, most people are familiar with the above condition, but still unconsciously do something against their policy, paying no attention to the possible consequences.