Mobile App Privacy: What Do Your Apps Know?
Most iOS and Android apps can access users’ phone storage, microphone, cameras, location, calendar, contacts, and social media account information. Different apps require access to other areas depending on its feature and functionalities.
The recent privacy update from WhatsApp has electrified users about their privacy in an unexpected manner. Bearing the users’ response to this controversial update, WhatsApp decided to postpone the deadline to accept the updated terms and policies.
The increasing concerns of — a learned or more aware group of — users made most WhatsApp users curious about the mobile app’s privacy and the data it might access and share with third parties.
This recently updated privacy policy from WhatsApp might go into effect on May, 15th 2021. The threat of privacy breaches has caused the company a considerable share of controversy. It brought the famous messaging app in an unfavorable situation where a few alternative apps to WhatsApp rolled in claiming privacy assurance.
In the past, Facebook has also faced similar controversies mostly centered around privacy breaches for financial gains. As a result, these companies, belonging to a similar parent group, were asked by the officials about the collection and use of personal information.
Let’s take a brief look at what app privacy is and how mobile app development companies or owners are bound to follow the rule.
What is an App Privacy Policy?
A mobile app privacy policy refers to a legal statement referring to how a mobile app company collects, stores, uses, and shares the personal information gathered from app users. Hence, app development companies are legally instructed to follow the state and the app publishing company’s privacy guidelines.
In this regard, personal information refers to any data acquired from app users that can be used to identify an individual, including their names, contacts, emails, device IDs, media & storage, and locations. Mobile app developers and development companies are required to abide by federal laws for app privacy. These policies are made to protect users’ privacy while protecting the company itself from facing legal challenges.
Hence, if a mobile app gathers, stores, uses, shares, or releases users’ information, it is legally bound to show up the app’s privacy policy and how they handle users’ information.
What Do Your Apps Know?
Users are now quite aware that they share a fair share of information with the apps installed on their devices. It’s not just Facebook or WhatsApp that sponge up a questionable amount of data with several interactions.
Most iOS and Android apps can access users’ phone storage, microphone, cameras, location, calendar, contacts, and social media account information. Different apps require access to other areas depending on its feature and functionalities. So, acquiring permission for some of these accesses is necessary. For instance, a food delivery app needs access to your address to deliver the food. A photo editing app requires access to a phone’s gallery to function. A ride-hailing app needs to access your location to complete its job. In case of denying access requests to these areas, the app’s basic functionality will break.
However, mobile apps can ask users for several different permissions, and users’ access accepted for wrong or unnecessary permissions can take essential data to the verge of insecurity. It gives the app access to identify track activities and information. Even worse, people do not care much about these app permissions and allow the app to track their movements without understanding the aftermath of data breaches and security vulnerabilities.
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