Data privacy advocate Gaël Duval, maker of Murena smartphones (Supplied image/Murena)
Smartphone apps constantly collect your data, from your location to your interactions with voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant.
This data is then sold to advertising companies, which explains why you often see ads for products you’ve mentioned in passing.
According to data privacy advocate Gaël Duval, there are ways to avoid this. By changing settings on your device, you can prevent your data from being used for targeted advertising.
Duval, the creator of Murena smartphones, believes that protecting data privacy has measurable benefits. He argues that poor data privacy and personalized ads contribute to increased time spent online, impulsive buying, and worsening mental health issues.
In 2022, a study by TASO found that 79% of people were concerned about tech companies using their data, while 65% felt uncomfortable sharing data to use free services.
A study by Trinity College in 2021 revealed that Android smartphones send 20 times more data to Google than Apple smartphones, although Google disputes the methodology of the research.
Check and manage app permissions
Duval advises users to review app permissions and limit access to their data. On an iPhone, you can generate a Privacy Report to see which apps have been accessing your data. Simply go to Settings > Privacy, and enable the App Privacy Report feature.
On iPhone, you can generate a Privacy Report (Apple)
On Android, you can manage app permissions by navigating to Security and Privacy > Privacy > Permission manager. Review permissions granted to apps like camera access.
Duval highlights that some apps collect data without the user’s knowledge or consent. He questions the need for certain permissions, such as an arcade game accessing contacts, camera, or microphone.
Enable Advanced Data Protection on iPhone
To enhance data privacy on iPhones, Duval recommends activating the Advanced Data Protection feature. This feature enables end-to-end encryption for photos, notes, voice memos, iCloud Drive, and Siri shortcuts. However, it’s important to note that Apple can still access data in iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendars as these are not end-to-end encrypted.
To activate Advanced Data Protection, open the settings app, tap your name, then tap iCloud. Scroll down and enable the Advanced Data Protection option.
Consider alternatives to Google Maps
According to Duval, Google Maps collects extensive data and has access to personal contact information. It can also record audio and access image and video files. Duval suggests uninstalling Google Maps if possible.
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – admin@vigourtimes.com. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
