Are Phones Dangerous?
Smartphones are essential in our lives, fitting all of our needs into a pocket-sized device. Whether it’s ordering food or sending a message, everything can be done within one tap. However, a new problem arises as the convenience of smartphones causes privacy concerns.
Through a simple connection to the internet, a smartphone is able to document one’s personal life. Data is stored in a phone for up to two years, whether a text message to a friend or a post on social media. That data is easily accessible by any authority. Service providers are able to collect your location, the people you text, and your internet usage. Smartphones are easily trackable devices with information accessible to private hackers within a few simple steps. All data stored in a smartphone such as financial information, age, gender, photos, and videos can potentially be collected.
Why would anyone be interested in your data? A user’s data is collected daily for targeted advertising. The biggest companies with ad revenue all condone the use of data collection. Your valuable data is most likely sold to a third-party advertising company, violating the privacy of an individual. Your location is the most susceptible to being stolen. Clicking the allow button on any app such as Google Maps lets it track your location regardless of whether it is running or not. Although the data stolen here might not visibly affect each individual’s life, Apple’s new IOS 15 update raises concerns.
Ever since the announcement of the release of IOS 15 (Apple’s latest updates), numerous customers worldwide haven’t particularly liked the approach. Additionally, the company confirmed a rumor that had been floating around, that the update would allow authorities to track users’ photos. Apple recently announced their new feature, which is meant to track CSA (child sexual abuse) by scanning photos on your phone. After advertising Apple as a brand to protect each user’s privacy, this upset countless users and employees. Apple continues to defend its new update while admitting its release statement wasn’t the greatest, creating a chaotic way to fight against child abuse. Apple’s update opens up a discussion about transparency, demonstrating that the data on our phone isn’t just viewed by us, but rather by a large corporation. People will pay 600 dollars for an iPhone, just to have their information sold.
Although Apple’s new statement shocked the world, scanning photos is not a revolutionary new concept. Platforms such as Facebook and Google have been able to scan photos for decades, just as Apple has also been able to see all photos stored on iCloud. Apple’s statement was concise and invasive, much easier for people to understand than a long-term and policy agreement. Security experts have raised concerns that these privileges may be easily abused. On the other hand, if these features play out the way they are intended to, they may be more helpful than harmful.
Smartphones carry out our everyday tasks, from ordering food to facetiming with friends. Individual privacy is constantly being invaded by the weak system on a smartphone, as opposed to computers, which have stronger systems. Only time will tell whether the data will be used for better or for worse.