visible-strategies

Test Results of a Privacy Audit

by  Margaret Ross

I paid too much for my phone and I’ve installed too many apps. I have an iPhone even though the marketplace offers phones that cost much less. I tell myself that iPhone delivers extra privacy. I assumed privacy automatically means more security. Right? Hmmm. Sometimes.

 After all, didn’t Apple’s first quarter marketing campaign claim and proclaim, “Privacy, That’s iPhone.”? Their impressively calming claim carries less weight after I ran a test by visiting some popular apps with a spyware and tracker blocker running. Each APP tested had been downloaded from the APP Store. The Apps included Twitter, WhatsApp (owned by Facebook) Amazon (owned by Amazon) and the Chrome browser (owned by Google - Alphabet Inc.).

Read more Your Apps Are Watching You 24/7

 

“Privacy is dead, and social media holds the smoking gun.” – Pete Cashmore , CEO of Mashable

“Those most capable of developing technology have proven to be least capable of protecting people’s privacy and security from that technology.” – Margaret S. Ross

“Historically, privacy was almost implicit, because it was hard to find and gather information. But in the digital world, whether it’s digital cameras or satellites or just what you click on, we need to have more explicit rules – not just for governments but for private companies.”  - Bill Gates

TRENDING: PRIVACY SECURITY

How to Save Your Friends and Family on LinkedIn

As We Watch Apps, They Watch Us, TOO

Visible Strategies Add Privacy and Personal Tech Section

 

 

Read more Privacy, Personal Tech, Internet Security

Is LinkedIn Holding Your Contacts and Calendars Hostage?

1. It started innocuously. You were in a hurry and doing multiple things at once. (A normal day.) You were creating your LinkedIn account. The screen showed you a nifty little prompt that encouraged you to enter your email address, so you could “See Who You Already Know on LinkedIn.”  That seemingly helpful offer seemed logical.   You were quickly following all the sign-up steps; the suggestion "to see who you already know"  was in a bold print on a blue background, and in large type.  

2. Their second largest selling point and getting us to do what they wanted was this phrase,  “Syncing your contacts is the fastest way to grow your network. “ The phrasing made it easy for you to see the benefit of doing what LinkedIn wanted. 

3. The third element to catch your attention was the familiar text box prompt, “Your email address,” followed by a cheerful bright blue Continue button. 

Most of us don’t notice or read the even smaller print located above the email prompt that says, “We’ll import and store your contacts."  What does even mean?!

We might have noticed where they were leading us if the words had said something like, "We now own all your emails, phones, names,  and other information in your contact lists and we will do whatever we want with them. " But -  maybe not. 

And - by the way, they might have added, - "We also have and are storing the information in your online calendar"

When you clicked the “Continue” button   LinkedIn took your entire contact list without paying you a single penny for total access to your friends, family, business contacts, doctors, and clients. 

Facebook Removes Last Privacy Option Settings Might Start Using You in Ads

If you hope to keep anything private, it is probably better to stay off the Internet altogether. If a “bunker” isn’t the best option for you and just can't help yourself, you need to know that both Facebook and Google+ are making changes to their privacy settings.