Address books are at risk but how would you know?
Notes taken by: Theresa Payton, Fortalice, LLC. Content also featured in WBTV's segment "Protecting Your Cyberturf" featuring Theresa Payton and Kristen Miranda
Remember the days of the rolodex? Youneeded to contact someone and you just flipped to the contact. Or, theold-school address book? Now most of us carry a smart phone whichreplaces the rolodex and address book. And sometimes, our most sensitiveinformation, is who we associate with. Now we learn that your contactsare at risk when you use online services.
It’s probably was one of the best kept secrets until now and itmight leave you feeling violated. Your address book has been and can beaccessed when you link to some of the most popular sites via your smart phone. The online companies actually consider it a “best practice” to take thatinformation. WBTV’s cyber expert, Theresa Payton, explains what they aredoing, the risks, and how you can avoid peeping eyes!
Twitter, Foursquare, and Instagram routinely snoop and look atyour personal address book on your phone. Did you know that they can dothat?
HOW DID WE FIND OUT?:
A developer noticed that a company named Path was uploadingaddress books. After a deeper look he determined they were doing thiswithout user permissions.
In addition, Congress asked Apple to explain how the Apple-store“approved apps” work in relation to consumer privacy, including the phonebooks. Apple said it is against their published rules for address booksto be collected without user permission, but they have no explanation for whyapps are doing this.
Apple plans to make sure apps that want to take your address book,have to send you a very targeted and specific notice that they are going tolook at your contacts. They did not commit as to when we would see thisimportant privacy change.
Apple did say they caught and stopped Yelp, GoWalla, Hipster andFoodspotting from doing this in the past.
Google said that any apps that do this on their phones must askyour permission up front.
Another place to be aware of this practice is the “Find Friends”feature that you see often on social media sites. For example, if you usethe Twitter app to “Find Friends” in your address book, they will store yourinformation for up to 18 months.
A security developer tested out Foursquare and if you sign up viayour phone, it grabs and sends your address book without notifying you. Foursquare says they will change that and warn you in the future.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. When you get those warning pop ups, for example askingfor location or access to your address book, think twice before you give the“ok”
2. Any app that “helps” you by accessing your contacts -use at your own risk or just skip it altogether and be selective in who you addto that app and social network
3. Speak up - when consumers speak up, the companies dotake notice and make changes
WORD OF THE WEEK:
SUPERPHONE: It’s predicted that the next generation ofsmart phones are going to be dubbed SUPERPHONES because they will include superfeatures such as high def video, consistent 4G connections, and amazing speeds.
It’s probably was one of the best kept secrets until now and itmight leave you feeling violated. Your address book has been and can beaccessed when you link to some of the most popular sites via your smart phone. The online companies actually consider it a “best practice” to take thatinformation. WBTV’s cyber expert, Theresa Payton, explains what they aredoing, the risks, and how you can avoid peeping eyes!
Twitter, Foursquare, and Instagram routinely snoop and look atyour personal address book on your phone. Did you know that they can dothat?
HOW DID WE FIND OUT?:
A developer noticed that a company named Path was uploadingaddress books. After a deeper look he determined they were doing thiswithout user permissions.
In addition, Congress asked Apple to explain how the Apple-store“approved apps” work in relation to consumer privacy, including the phonebooks. Apple said it is against their published rules for address booksto be collected without user permission, but they have no explanation for whyapps are doing this.
Apple plans to make sure apps that want to take your address book,have to send you a very targeted and specific notice that they are going tolook at your contacts. They did not commit as to when we would see thisimportant privacy change.
Apple did say they caught and stopped Yelp, GoWalla, Hipster andFoodspotting from doing this in the past.
Google said that any apps that do this on their phones must askyour permission up front.
Another place to be aware of this practice is the “Find Friends”feature that you see often on social media sites. For example, if you usethe Twitter app to “Find Friends” in your address book, they will store yourinformation for up to 18 months.
A security developer tested out Foursquare and if you sign up viayour phone, it grabs and sends your address book without notifying you. Foursquare says they will change that and warn you in the future.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. When you get those warning pop ups, for example askingfor location or access to your address book, think twice before you give the“ok”
2. Any app that “helps” you by accessing your contacts -use at your own risk or just skip it altogether and be selective in who you addto that app and social network
3. Speak up - when consumers speak up, the companies dotake notice and make changes
WORD OF THE WEEK:
SUPERPHONE: It’s predicted that the next generation ofsmart phones are going to be dubbed SUPERPHONES because they will include superfeatures such as high def video, consistent 4G connections, and amazing speeds.
