In recent years we have experienced the unprecedented increasing use of mobile communications. The use of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones has lead to the development of software applications, the so called “apps”. The growing use of apps –offered with little cost or even free— for virtually every aspect of user’s life from managing the personal bank account to seeking out information, diagnosis, or even immediate treatment to health problems might have serious implications for the protection of personal data and privacy of their users. The inherent characteristic of mobile devices as personal devices has turned them to “a spy in our pocket” (Green, N., & Sean, S. 2003) The pervasiveness of applications software has the potential to reveal enormous amount of personal information since a single data item can, in real time, be transmitted from the mobile device to be processed or be copied between chains of third-parties such as advertising disclosing significant amounts of personal data. A number of issues surrounding the ongoing regulatory and research developments on apps need to be examined under the light of EU data protection law, such as the role and responsibilities of the different actors involved, the privacy problems arising from the emergence of apps in mobile smart devices and the legal framework applicable to the processing of personal data in the development, distribution and usage of apps on smart devices. BACKGROUND Mobile technology has come a long way in the last quarter of the century. In the 1980s, mobile phones could only be used for phone calls. Since then, the development of new electronic communications services led to the widespread use of mobile phones. According to a recent survey in... ... middle of paper ... ...last decade. Technology has changed and user behavior has changed too. People use the Internet through smartphones and tablets in order to “post and search for personal, often intimate, information online; communicate with friends and colleagues on social networks” (Tene, O. 2011) Smartphones and tablets have substituted pc, traditional telephones, photographic and video cameras enabling the storage of large quantities of personal information such as photographs, videos, contact information, music e.t.c. Some types of data such as “text messages , numbers and the unique identifiers are stored automatically” enabling the access and process of enormous amount of personal information such as “circles of contacts, health-related or other personal research queries, and a wide variety of intellectual and political interests, of information” (Urban, J., M. Et al., 2012).
With the recent technologies, such as the 'Google Glass' and high-tech tracking devices, more and more people are concerned with 'freedom of interference' issues. Often, seemingly harmless text files can track personal information and cellphones can record text messages and phone calls. Although technology has been beneficial to society, it poses serious privacy concerns to users.
The personal connection Americans have with their phones, tablets, and computers; and the rising popularity of online shopping and social websites due to the massive influence the social media has on Americans, it is clear why this generation is called the Information Age, also known as Digital Age. With the Internet being a huge part of our lives, more and more personal data is being made available, because of our ever-increasing dependence and use of the Internet on our phones, tablets, and computers. Some corporations such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook; governments, and other third parties have been tracking our internet use and acquiring data in order to provide personalized services and advertisements for consumers. Many American such as Nicholas Carr who wrote the article “Tracking Is an Assault on Liberty, With Real Dangers,” Anil Dagar who wrote the article “Internet, Economy and Privacy,” and Grace Nasri who wrote the article “Why Consumers are Increasingly Willing to Trade Data for Personalization,” believe that the continuing loss of personal privacy may lead us as a society to devalue the concept of privacy and see privacy as outdated and unimportant. Privacy is dead and corporations, governments, and third parties murdered it for their personal gain not for the interest of the public as they claim. There are more disadvantages than advantages on letting corporations, governments, and third parties track and acquire data to personalized services and advertisements for us.
Computers, tablets, cellphones and all modern tenchnology has decrease our expectations of privacy in this digital age. People don't care anyone for their privacy, they only want the benefits that modern technology has brought to them. In the essay, “Privacy is Overrated” by David Plotz (2003), argues that it is sometimes good to be open and not be bother by privacy. In Jack Shafer's (2010) essay, “The Invasion of the Cookie Monster” he argues that we are the ones to be blame for the lost of our online privacy. The didgital age has created an extremely big problem of privacy for people.
The International Telecommunications Union estimates there are 6.8 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide (mobiThinking). The growth of mobile computing in both the workforce and for personal use has also caused a growth in the malware and mobile botnets available to mobile devices (Symantec). To be able to properly protect the mobile device and environment, security teams should be looking at building in and not just bolting on security mechanisms. It is a fairly common saying now among security professionals that it is not if you will be hacked or breached it is a matter of when. However, by using common sense and choosing methods that offer a better defense in depth strategy, users and security organizations can minimize or greatly reduce the likelihood of sensitive data loss. One way to build in security is to work from the source of where it might originate from, in this case the application delivering the potential malicious content. While this paper is not going to focus on the ins and outs of application security the goal is to determine if the delivery mechanism for those applications is secure by comparing and contrasting the security of the two largest distributors of mobile applications, the Apple App Store/iTunes Store and Google Play.
Telecommunications gained mainstream attention in the early 90’s; however the initial key market was business men and women, who used their phones whilst being on the move and so allowing them to communicate with their companies with ease. Though in the modern era, telecommunication went through segmentation in the market trends, and now in this day and age it would be difficult to find someone who does not own some form of mobile technology. Many phone providers battle to provide the best service for their customers (Figure 1).
Each day, billions of people worldwide depend on the security of digital systems. From medical history and test results at a hospital, to financial information and account statements at a bank, or social connections and personal messages on a smart phone, nearly every facet of a person’s life has some component of personal data associated with it that is stored on a computer. Furthermore, new forms of personal data to collect are being identified, gathered, analyzed, and stored all the time. This growth in the collection of personal data is so immense that the amount of digital data in existence approximately doubles every two years, and large companies are responsible for creating about 80% of this data increase (Gantz & Reinsel, 2011).
With text messaging, email, and social media, all of which are already fairly popular, becoming more popular by the day, digital privacy is becoming a vital issue. This is why the problem between Apple and the FBI is an important issue, and one that calls for attention. In the words of Middleton “The first thing many users do in the morning is check their BlackBerry, and the device remains with them throughout the day, until they go to bed.” The thing is, this is not a behavior limited to BlackBerry users. Many people who have cellphones, smartphones in particular, are practically attached to them at the hip. As a result of this level of dependence, many people have a veritable boatload of information on their cellphones. Credit card numbers, important emails, all of their contacts, to name but a few. Some people have their entire lives stored on their phones. If it is a phone used regularly for business, it may have most to all of the business’ pertinent information stored on one device. This is why cell phone security, and being able to trust that the information on your phone is being kept safe, is so important
The issue on privacy is extremely controversial in today’s world. As the United States’ use of the internet, a global web of interconnected computer networks, expands, so does its problem with privacy invasion. With the U.S. pushing for new laws governing internet use, citizens are finding their privacy being pulled right from underneath them. Web users are buying and selling personal information online as well as hacking users for more information. One may argue that there is no such thing as privacy on the internet, but privacy is a right among Americans, and should be treated as such.
LeRoux, Yves. "Privacy concerns in the digital world." 03 Oct 2013. Computer Weekly. 24 April 2014 .
Are the benefits of electronic communication at the expense of our privacy? How does the Internet affect the availability and use of our personal information? The Internet brings another dimension to the issue of privacy. Whether you are voting on-line or buying a book from Amazon.com you must consider how much personal information has been collected about you, with or without your consent, and how it can be used. Policies governing privacy on the Internet are still not clearly defined and many on-line users do not understand how the information they provide will be used. How much...
The New Media Age has brought about a wealth of technological innovations from the smartphone to online social media platforms. These creations have changed the way many people conduct their daily lives, but it has also changed the way the world faces privacy. New technologies make the spread of information astonishingly easy. As information is more readily available to a vast online audience, there is growing concern for the protection of people’s private information. Yet these technologies offer a number of limitations ranging from ownership of information to the ability to circumnavigate privacy systems that diminish privacy to a mere concept left to be desired, in turn altering the perception of the devices spawning the issue.
Gralla, Preston. "Smartphone Apps: Is Your Privacy Protected?" Computerworld. N.p., 7 July 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
In this new era of the Internet, most people use the Internet to acquire information of one kind or other. But what these people are not aware of is that the Internet is collecting information about them. Every time we get onto the Internet there might be a compromise of privacy of our personal information. The information flows both ways. With every clock of the mouse on a hyperlink, or an addition to the mailing list, someone out there might be gathering information about us. This raises the seriousness of privacy of our information on the Internet.
Since the invention of the cell phones, in 1973, it has quickly become the most popular device used especially today during the twenty-first century. Due to its hands-free-easy-to-use design, the amount of people that own a cell phone is rapidly increasing. The useful text messaging feature has proved to be extremely useful in current times. Along with these helpful features, the cell phone is easily accessible and more portable. The majority of phone companies offer a 3G or 4G data plan, meaning internet access can be found on your phone almost anywhere, at any time. In addition to its easy portability, the cell phone is a very useful and helpful device, allowing one to stay connected to the outer world. “With a smartphone, you can connect to the Web from virtually anywhere. You ...
When phones became available to the public they were not considered to be mobile in today’s sense of the word. They were available to have installed in an automobile, they were big and bulky, and they needed and consumed a lot of power to use. The phone networks would only support a few simultaneous conversations. Cell phones since then have made vast improvements in their efficiency, abilities, and size. The first handheld mobile phone wasn’t produce until 1973. The origin...