Smartphones share your data every four-and-a-half minutes
KARACHI: Android and iOS smartphones share data with their parent companies every four-and-a-half minutes, a new academic study has revealed.
The study, conducted by The Trinity College Dublin research h has heightened privacy concerns. The findings divulge that there is little difference between Apple smartphones and Google when collecting certain data.
iPhones don’t offer more security than Google devices, according to the study. Published by Prof Doug Leith at Trinity’s Connect Centre, the study noted that Google handsets collected “a notably larger volume of handset data than Apple smartphones.” Google devices send 1MB of data from Google Pixel handsets when not in use every 12 hours, whereas Apple smartphones send 52KB.
Data shared includes details such as insertion of a SIM and handset details, hardware serial number, IMEI, Wifi MAC address, and the phone number.
“I think most people accept that Apple and Google need to collect data from our phones to provide services such as iCloud or Google Drive. But when we use our phones as phones – to make and receive calls and nothing more – it is much harder to see why Apple and Google need to collect data,” said Prof Leith.
“Yet in this study, we find that Apple and Google collect a wealth of information. In precisely that situation. It seems excessive, and it is hard to see why it is necessary.”
Moreover, Prof Leith said the devices collected data about handset activity and handsets nearby.
“The WiFi MAC address identifies a device on a WiFi network. So, for example, uniquely identifies your home router, cafe hotspot, or office network. That means Apple can potentially track which people you are near to, as well as when and where. That’s very concerning.”
