A cybersecurity expert revealed that many of the world's most popular apps have questionable terms of service and exploit private data to make money.
Tom Gaffney, a cybersecurity expert at F-Secure, told the Daily Mail that there are several popular apps he would never use due to concerns about what they do with private data.
By allowing data to be monitored by "big tech" companies, he says, they can determine what we see online, and we become "defined by what computer algorithms decide for us".
Alexa
Gaffney says digital voice assistants like Alexa pose serious privacy risks.
The devices hear “beep words” before powering on but listen for them all the time – capturing snippets of your voice and processing them in data centers far from your home.
"I don't use it at all," says Gaffney. "The data that goes to the central cloud is by design. In fact, the processing can be done more securely on the device, at home."
- Uber
Gaffney says Uber has a history of privacy concerns.
In addition to the large-scale data breach, the company also faced controversy over an offer that allowed employees to know the location of app users.
"Their former head of security was accused of covering up a previous data breach in 2016, and there were driver data leaks in 2022 and more recently this year," says Gaffney.
- "WhatsApp"
Gaffney says Meta's proprietary WhatsApp encryption — where content is encrypted so that only connected users can see messages — is a positive step, but he won't use WhatsApp anymore because it shares data with Facebook.
“WhatsApp since 2020 provides and collects the same user data with Facebook because they share the same ownership,” he says. “I got out of WhatsApp when they changed their terms.
- Zoom
Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom, admitted in 2020 that he "really messed up the app's security" when hackers managed to disrupt meetings due to security flaws.
And the app doesn't have the best encryption - it actually falls short of the industry standard.
This vulnerability could easily allow cybercriminals to intercept and access your data.
Some apps like Pro Camera Beauty, Art Editor and Selfie Camera Pro allegedly steal data from users, SHEfinds reports.
Researchers from Trend Micro discovered that 29 photo-editing and beauty apps contained code that made them capable of performing malicious activities on smartphones.
While malicious activities usually go unnoticed, the report found that apps created shortcuts to hide their icon when users tried to delete the app.
The researchers found that some users who downloaded photo-editing apps received advertisements for pornography or fraudulent content whenever they unlocked their devices.
Weather apps
Weather apps track your location to show you the best forecasts, but by doing so, you're also allowing the apps to collect your data. This includes Accuweather and Clime.
NordVPN, a group of online security experts, said: “With your permission, the app tracks your location 24/7 and sells this data to advertisers, which could put your phone security and privacy at risk. Weather apps will sell data about where you work, how you commute, and who He's your doctor, he's the gym you go to."
What do companies say?
An Uber spokesperson said: “Over 118 million active users trust Uber with their data and privacy. Uber has strong safeguards in place to prevent loss or unauthorized use of personal data.”
A Meta spokesperson said: "Protecting the privacy and security of people's data is central to how we do business. That's why we've invested heavily in features like Privacy Checkup and Privacy Essentials to provide transparency and controls so people understand and can manage their privacy preferences."
An Amazon spokesperson said: “We ensure customer data is protected at all times. This includes customer Alexa voice recordings which are stored securely in the Amazon cloud.”
Musk reveals a new feature that will be added to "Twitter" : Reuters
Twitter CEO Elon Musk revealed details about the platform's new features, which will include the ability to make phone calls in addition to encrypted messages.
Mask reveals a new feature that will be added toMusk warns against trusting WhatsApp
Musk wrote in a tweet on Twitter: "Soon, voice and video chat from your account on the platform to anyone on this platform will be available, and you will be able to talk to people anywhere in the world without giving them your phone number."
This feature will make Twitter follow in the footsteps of other social media sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, which have similar features.
Musk said a copy of encrypted direct messages will be available on Twitter starting Wednesday, but he did not say whether calls would be encrypted.
Twitter announced this week that it will begin the process of removing and archiving accounts that have been inactive for several years.
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