In the News
Since Facebook’s data privacy fallout, new initiatives and regulations have been enforced to ensure user privacy. In Apple quietly banned developers from selling and sharing users’ contacts, Shannon Liao discusses Apple’s new policy, which prevents companies from using phone numbers, addresses, and other contact information to create databases which can be sold to third parties. Liao explains that this will force companies to explicitly ask for user consent to use personal information and create more transparency. Liao does state that Apple can not do anything about previously obtained information.
Our Take
Using apps and new technologies are a part of daily life, yet the concern over user data being sold to outside players is cause for reasonable alarm, as there are a number of shadow industries that have grown up around the quiet trading of user data behind the scenes for advertising and other purposes. Apple’s efforts to reduce the possibility of user data being used for undisclosed purposes help secure user information and user privacy. It is heartening to see companies paying closer attention to this now, though it is likely in response to public outcry and European regulations rather than heartfelt concern over user privacy.
Recommendations
Even in the face of good news, we continue to recommend caution when sharing data:
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Glance over privacy agreements before accepting them for any new account, to be sure you understand the extent of data sharing you are agreeing to
- Always check privacy settings on your accounts; default settings frequently allow oversharing of data with third parties
- Stay up to date on news covering data privacy and the selling of user data to see if you may have been affected.