Understanding Privacy Apps

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The bad news is that 50% of mobile apps do not offer a privacy policy before a download. What makes it worse is that social media networks continue to use their user data for marketing purposes and users continue to be at risk of data-misuse.

Additional Readings: Social Media Privacy Concerns You Should Be Aware of

Privacy apps can step in to help. These are apps that help users protect their online activities, and before we get to how they work, here’s something you should know:

What happens When You Accept A Privacy Policy

Once you agree to a privacy policy, the website gets permission to access your personal information and your public profile. Your name, address, profile, pictures, log-in credentials and networks. You also allow the website to access the contacts in your email account, your gender, interests, age and location. The website then customizes your experience and delivers targeted advertisements to you based on all this information.

Your data is used for marketing from the day you sign up with a website, and here’s how privacy applications can help protect your online privacy.

About Privacy Tools

There can be four different types of privacy apps, and these are:

(a) Online blockers – such apps mask (encrypt) your data when you’re online and allow you to browse or shop without having to reveal your identity. Such apps help prevent all forms of online tracking.

(b) Email Securers – Such apps generate a different email ID during the registration process and forward you its credentials. For example, if your email is a@123.com, the app converts it to z@zzz.com. All emails sent to the masked address are forwarded to the original address. If the website starts spamming you or sells your email, you will come to know and can then de-register or unsubscribe.

(c) 1-Click Log-ins – some apps keep an account of all your credentials thereby allowing you to login automatically. You can see the details, but these get encrypted once the app uploads them during the login process.

(d) Auto Form Fillers – such apps can automatically fill forms and save you the bother.

Apps that protect privacy can have any one or all of the features listed above.

What If You Don’t Want To Use Such Apps?

If you do not want to download yet another app then you should visit the relevant social media website and change your settings. You can head to the “Settings” area and look for “Account Settings.” Use this are to unsubscribe from in-site apps or control who can see your posts. You also will be able to publish comments to a select audience of your choice.

Privacy apps are available for iPhone and Android devices and you should download and use them only if you feel the need. If you frequent social networks regularly, then it is recommended that you use one such app.

Social Media Privacy Concerns You Should Be Aware Of

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Companies and individuals are using social media and social media apps like never before. Public networks are employed to drive revenues and build brand, while private social media is used to enhance member and internal engagement. History and use of user data tell us that every user must pay attention and understand social media privacy to ensure that his valuable personal information is kept safe from prying eyes. Here are some of the key privacy concerns you must be aware of:


1. Social media mergers


As competition grows, smaller social networks will find it difficult to survive and weak players will likely be taken over by the big boys. Struggling startups also will find solace in the arms of the bigger players. When a social media company is taken over, it surrenders all its users’ data to the acquirer. When that happens, the user automatically has to accept the acquirer’s privacy policy or close his account. So, the first thing to check when your existing network is taken over is whether the acquirer’s privacy policy is user-friendly and capable of safeguarding your data.

Additional Readings: 5 Reasons Your Class Groups Needs Online Privacy


2. Unified Log-In Systems


Single access log-in systems are a huge hit these days. People can login using their Facebook, Yahoo and other handles without having to register on sites (that allow such log-ins). Unified log-in systems are popular with users but can cause privacy problems. Data keeps getting shared and many websites are able to track the user’s actions and activities. This could cause a problem.


3. Security Legislation


The government may get proactive on privacy concerns and pass legislation that places some curbs on data usage by social networks. This legislation may be tabled by the end of 2013 or shortly thereafter. Till this happens, social networks may continue to use data to their own advantage, intentionally or unintentionally.


4. Unauthorized Marketing


Can a company use or sell its users’ data to others? Social networking companies derive revenues from advertising and using members’ databases. The number of users on social networks is increasing and therefore networks will continue to try out all revenue-generating tactics. There is a fine line between genuine marketing and butting into privacy and therefore users must be careful about how their personal information is being used.

Additional Readings:  Facebook hit with $15B Class-Action Suit Over User Privacy


5. Location targeting


Social networks deploy location tracking software to track their users’ activities and such targeting adds fuel to the fire. User’s private lives and daily activities are revealed and this could expose users to new and unknown risks – if the location tracking information is misused.



These are the current social media privacy concerns that every user is exposed to. Users typically scroll through privacy policies without reading them carefully, which is a wrong thing to do. They should read the policy and join the network only if they are convinced that their privacy will not be compromised. Remember, privacy risks far outweigh the advantages and happiness of sharing information on social sites.

Understanding The Concept Of Online Privacy

http://priveyo.com/ - Private Social Media Network

Online privacy is extremely important and though most users realize its significance they prefer to skip reading the entire privacy policy on websites. They just agree to it and move on to browse the site, and this is because most users consider the policy to be irrelevant. Website owners also do not present the policy in a simple format, which is another reason why users avoid it.

Internet privacy represents the right given by users to third parties (website owners) for using or storing their private information in the manner in which it is stated in the privacy policy. Information means any data that can be used to identify the user.

Additional readings: A Private Social Network Make Perfect Sense For Companies

People give their private information to websites in a variety of ways – by registering at the websites, by using their credit card, by accessing the website using a unified login system, by posting personal information on social media networks, and more. This data can be misused or hacked and therefore website users must know what the concept of web privacy is all about.

How Is Private Information Gathered

Information is collected by a variety of techniques, and these are:

Cookies: HTTP cookies planted on the user’s computer, help website owners track the user’s browsing habits. Cookies are commonly used and are considered legit, but there have been a couple of instances in which information was misused. Ads are delivered to the user based on his browsing habits. Web users who don’t want the website to track them should delete cookies often. Disabling cookies altogether can ruin the browsing experience.

Flash Cookies: These work like HTTP cookies but are embedded in a user’s computer through Adobe Flash. Blocking such cookies is easy these days because modern browsers can easily detect them.

Evercookies: These are cookies that work like HTTP cookies but defy deletion by replicating themselves. They may replicate themselves even after deletion. To eliminate or detect them, you must use our browser’s latest version. These cookies are also used by investigative agencies to catch criminals.

Device Fingerprinting: This new technique involves reading the data in the user’s computer to figure if he’s risky. This can help owners of ecommerce, dating and banking sites understand the user’s risk profile and determine whether it should do business with him. Most sites use this technology and you should go along with them because blocking it is impractical as it makes the computer very slow. It has a variant – A.D.A.P.T (Sentinel Advanced detection and Predator Tracking) that also detects false identities.

Photo Tags: Information about the user’s identity can also be collected from Facebook, allowing individuals to use face recognition technology to access the person’s data. You should know that some phone and tablet cameras attach the latitude and longitude of the place where the picture was clicked, and this could give away your location.

Google Street View: This technology provides information about a person’s location, activities and property.

Search Engines and Social Media Sites: You will be surprised to learn that search engines link keywords with IP address or computer ID. The search engine understands the user’s searching habits and learns things about him. Social media sites collect user data and use it for marketing.

SPs: ISPs too can scrutinize user’s activities but they are prohibited from using the information because of legal and ethical reasons.

Data Repositories: These facilities collect data from major companies like Google, Twitter, Facebook and others. So long the data remains on their system, your privacy may be at risk.

Conclusion

Responsible websites do not misuse personal data. However, malicious websites can plant spyware, malware, bugs, keyloggers, and other evil tools. To protect yourself, you should use strong passwords, update your browser regularly, close accounts that are not required, and protect your data to safeguard your online privacy.