According to a new study from the Privacy Guarantor, lot of microphones on ours smartphone they are always on so as to steal personal and sensitive data to be resold to various companies for commercial purposes. According to the research, this is an increasingly widespread phenomenon, which would also seem to be caused by the apps we download on our mobile phones and which require access permissions.
Privacy Guarantor: Watch out for microphones on smartphones
At the origin of the problem there would be all those applications that require specific login information, even not directly connected to the direct use of the app, as can be precisely the authorization to use the microphone. Processes that we carry out every day, without thinking too much and without inquiring about the use that will be made of their data, exactly as those who take advantage of our data would like.
The Privacy Guarantor has therefore started a series of investigations in the face of a television service and several users who have reported the problem. According to reports, it would be enough to say a few words about one’s tastes, projects, travels or simple desires to see the advertising of a car, a tourist agency or a cosmetic product arrive on the mobile phone.
We are therefore faced with an illegal use of personal data, which led the offices of the Guarantor to take action to go deeper into the matter. In particular an investigation was initiated, in collaboration with the Special Privacy and Technological Fraud Unit of the Guardia di Finanza, which will examine a series of the most downloaded applications, verifying that the privacy policy is clear and transparent.
This new activity of the Guarantor joins the one already started on the simplification of information, through symbols and images, so that users and consumers are enabled in a concise and effective way to make free and informed choices.