In this case, if we talk about phones, we speak about the smartphone containing everything – our contacts, embarrassing pictures, and information that, if taken, could be used inappropriately. However, our smartphones are not always protected and we allow applications to access our data most of the time. What can be done in order to protect ourselves?
We use our phones as our second homes. And the number of permissions which are provided to the apps equals the number of guests who entered our apartment without asking. So, we provide the access to all data of our phones, and we have to stop this right now.
Why do we give these permissions? In most cases, we simply try to get rid of those annoying pop-ups that require some information in order to continue using it. However, in reality, they use this opportunity to collect a lot of data about us and sell it. So, they can create a profile based on our habits and sell it to different companies.
Fortunately, we can prevent this and protect our data easily. And in order to do this we do not have to be a hacker – we just have to be responsible owners. It is time to perform an audit. It sounds complicated, but actually, you should just check who has access to what. And here we are going to show how to do it. Grab your phone and let's begin.
Firstly, we are discussing the iPhones. Apple tried to do something about this problem, so we should be grateful to them. Go to Settings and look for the list of your apps there. Then you should go through the list and click on each app separately. Then you will see the list labeled as "Privacy". Then you will see different options – Location, Photos, Contacts and so on. All that has green sign means that it has permissions. Now it is necessary to ask yourself a simple question – do I need it? If the answer is negative, then turn it off.
It is important to pay special attention to the Location service. It is one of the main problems. Go to the Settings, Privacy and Security, and Location Services there. Here you will see the list of apps that want to have the access to this information. In this list there are three main options for you. Never, Ask Next Time, and While Using. You should definitely not choose the "Always" option, because this gives the app the possibility to track you even when you do not use it. Everything that is not a map or delivery app should be changed to "While Using".
Now it is the turn of Androids. Google improved its system lately, however, the situation is still rather chaotic. Open the Settings app. Look for "Privacy" and then "Permission manager". It is the control center. You can filter it by permission type. Go to "Camera" to see which apps use the access to your camera and go to "Microphone" to see the apps that hear your voice. You will be shocked after looking at this list. Usually it includes games and shopping apps. It is absolutely unacceptable and you should remove their permissions. Be sure to be ruthless, because you are the boss of your device.
Android has the feature that is called "Permission Manager" that shows the unused apps. If you did not use the app for three months, it should not have any permissions. Just revoke them. If you open it in the future, it will ask for it again. Thus, you clean your device and protect it from useless background processes which reduce the battery level of your smartphone. It is useful in every possible way.
Now we have to discuss specific offenders. As we already know, the most greedy apps are social media apps, like Instagram, Snapchat, Tik-Tok. They want your contacts, your location and your files. You can reduce this permission for these apps significantly. For example, Instagram does not need access to your contact list. You should just write it manually. It is rather easy and the price for this is rather low.
How to handle the permission for the microphone? It is time to discuss the paranoia. You speak about buying sneakers, and then you see ads of Nikes. Yes, it is a little bit scary and you think that they spy on you. Actually, they do not need to do this, because they already have so much data that they can predict what you want. But it is still better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, if the app does not need to record audio, remove the permission for this. It seems unreasonable that the photo editor has access to your microphone. If you still have some doubts, buy a cheap microphone blocker plug for your headphones.
However, there is another trick to watch out for – "free" apps. You pay nothing for this app, therefore, you are a product of this developer. He needs money and uses your data to sell it to the advertisers. Be very careful with the random utilities apps which promise you the moon. A simple calculator app does not need to access the internet, and if it requires it, then just delete it. Only use apps from reputable developers or open source projects. Look for the reviews before downloading. If someone says that it steals your data, he probably knows what he is talking about.
Do not forget that your browser may leak your data too. The chrome is convenient, but it works on behalf of Google. Try using other browsers, like Firefox or Brave, for sensitive searches. They have built-in protection from trackers and blocks the third-party cookies by default. Thus, they do not track you from website to website anymore. You can still use chrome for your school account if you need it. However, use another browser for your personal searches. It is a great security method to separate accounts.
Maybe you are afraid that you will make some of your applications unusable. However, you will understand that the convenience that you lose is not worth compared with the control that you get. In such way you protect yourself from being a product. There is a significant difference between being a user and a product.
You should perform this procedure regularly, every time you upgrade or download an application. It takes five seconds. It should be your basic hygiene of digital life, because the Internet is the wild world. Leaving your doors unlocked is like calling for troubles. However, you do not have to be the cybersecurity expert to protect your data. Just pay attention to this.
Go and do it right now. Honestly. Open the settings of your phone and do not leave it tomorrow. You will be surprised at the results that you will get. You will probably remove permissions for twenty apps within the first minute. It feels good and you take your power back. Your smartphone is your property. Do not let the developers spy on your life. Lock it down and enjoy the silence.
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