Often times, people complain about the lack of privacy on applications and websites. Many users blindly choose the “Allow” option without actually realizing what they’re signing up for. These applications access your contacts list, photos, Facebook friends list, and even your GPS location. Some allow for the option to opt-out, others like Facebook or Tinder, don’t. So, which apps grab the most information? Studies show that the following apps are some of the most invasive of your privacy: Google Maps, Pandora, Shazam, Horoscope, and even Dictionary.com.
This leads to the next question; why can these apps take this information and why do they do it? The reason why they take it is because they can. They ask the user for their permission to access this information, and in their privacy policy, they list their uses. Most of the time, if the user doesn’t agree to allow access to their information; they either can’t fully use the app or can’t use the app at all.
If you’re wondering why they do it- the answer is quite simple. The apps are free, and the team behind the app needs to make money somehow. By gathering your information, many of these apps sell your information to third parties. Our society has gotten to the point that free apps are simply expected, and people are in turn exchanging their data instead of a small fee. App developers and companies make far more money off of your data than a one-time fee, so that’s why large apps capitalize on this opportunity (for example, Facebook messenger).
Last year Facebook removed the option to message through their app and ultimately forced users to download the Facebook Messenger application. Many were hesitant and confused as to why they had to download two apps for one social media outlet; others opted in with no hesitation. When users try going to the messenger through the Facebook app, it leads them to the app store to download the messenger application. Eventually, this started getting people to download it regardless of their privacy concerns. The app gains access to your camera, microphone, contacts, and all information that you type over the app. Many users were concerned that Facebook would use the camera or microphone for spying and giving information to the government, but that seems entirely unrealistic. Though it’s technically possible for them to do, as soon as it happened, Facebook would lose a vast majority of its users.
Of course these permissions are required in order to use the app at its’ full capacity, but the app is still free just as the general Facebook app is. Facebook also uses your data and information to sell to advertisers, and that’s not going to change any time soon. It’s legal because people agree to use these apps without really reading the fine print.
The next time you’re in the app store and download an app because its “free”, remember the price you’re actually paying and read the fine print.