Smart phone apps can make life easier, putting dozens of useful tools in the palm of a user’s hand.
But the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to make sure the apps they download don’t take more information than they need to do the job.
In a recent settlement by the Federal Trade Commission, the agency found that a flashlight app’s privacy policy had been deceiving users into sharing their geographic location and device information with advertising networks and other third parties. Brightest Flashlight Free, developed by Goldenshores Technologies LLC, is one of the most popular apps on Android mobile devices, and has been downloaded more than 10 million times.
However, the FTC claims the company’s privacy policy told consumers that any information collected by the app would be used by the company, and listed some categories of information that it might collect, including geographic location. The privacy policy failed, however, to mention that this private information would be released to third parties.
The complaint also involved the company collecting information as soon as users opened the app, even before accepting or refusing the terms of the privacy policy.
Goldenshores Technologies has agreed to settle the FTC charges, and prohibits the company from misrepresenting how users’ information is collected and shared, and how much control users have over the way the information is shared. It also requires the company to obtain consumer’s affirmative express consent before collecting, using and sharing information.
It’s not always easy to tell if an app is going to collect information or how it will use it. Smart phone users should also:
• Research companies and apps before downloading, including industry publications and user reviews;
• Review the full privacy policy (and, on Android phones, the “permissions” screen);
• Opt out of location sharing when prompted;
• Periodically check all privacy settings on smart phones and keep them set as high as possible without altering the functions of apps (some apps, like maps and compasses, need geo-location information in order to work properly);
• Update apps when a new version comes out. Often, app updates fix bugs from earlier versions;
• Delete apps no longer used from a phone.
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