If you use 20 apps and 19 of them do not show ads and only 1 shows ads. That 1 app itself is enough to give your device information to the ads network. The privacy thing is kind of hoax. However the data like photos etc which some app handles has its own privacy policy. If they keep little thumbs of the pics in their server they must tell the users. Lots of companies do not do that. This is hidden reality. An example https://www.upguard.com/blog/biggest-data-breaches.
Many times server getting hacked is an internal job and the data is sold on dark web etc places. This is old technique to sell user data and make cash. However the subject of this post is about how much privacy is there even if companies have strict policies. As example below tells why device info is shared due to just 1 app. Even if no app shares device info just browsing internet does it. The websites collect data and they do fingerprinting, cookies etc techniques to identify unique systems. The threat of data being shared for misused is not from small apps but big companies which make such apps.
Take example of apps like Truecaller. How did they collect so much information about phone numbers? Did they release the app without any beginning database?
Privacy is hoax and the best way to deal with this rampant user data misuse is providing false information. Sincere users provide their details to social media sites and sites breach the trust and sell the data.
Many users have myth of using VPN apps for privacy. VPN apps are the very first place to loose your private data. A VPN app opens a HTTPS site in proxy and can see what it is then sending it to end user. Where is privacy? Can you really trust VPN for sharing private data like password etc.
TIPs:
- Sometimes people share their login id and password at same place. Like sharing both in a chat. This is highly unsafe. Share ID by mail, share password by message. Split the information. Many think this level of security is too much or time waste until some loss occurs.
- Use personal encryption utilities. Share data in encrypted form and end person gets the data and decrypts it. Do not rely on the encryption of the service provider.
- Many users click banking related images in phone. Phones are highly sensitive than PCs regarding privacy. Having saved bank details in images, text files in storage. Its better to use sandboxed/encrypted folders, personally customized apps if possible etc.
- Keep extra accounts for not so important things like entertainment services etc. Do not use main/primary email, phone for registering to these types of services. use personal/primary accounts for banking only.
