You can access multiple apps on your smartphone, web browser, or desktop, which makes your life better and more entertaining by allowing you to talk to people, check the news, or even play online games. But most of these apps collect your information at the back end, from your usage behaviors and location to your text messages, contacts, and even your private pictures. The following are some worst apps for privacy.
1. Facebook
Facebook is considered to be within the business of connecting the people, although it is one of the most intrusive apps. Facebook has been reported to have sold the data of millions of users to the Cambridge Analytica, a consulting company, and that company harvested the information of users without permission.
Facebook monitors your activities from the pictures you like and to how long your mouse is swinging over a product. This information is then supplied into the Artificial Intelligence algorithm that continuously optimizes the material you see to provide a better user experience and to make you click on the ads.
- Facebook wants access to your personal information, like your text messages and call logs.
- When you upload some videos on Facebook, you need to allow it to access your camera and microphone.
- While uploading some images or videos, you allow it to access the internal storage of your mobile.
- Facebook uses your wifi, and it also uses your location.
- Facebook requires almost all of the control over your device and then tracks your activities.
2. Messenger
Did you even know that all the messages you send through messenger are not secure? Messenger does not provide you end-to-end encryption. These unencrypted messages can be easily accessed by the employees of Facebook or even third parties.
Encryption is a technique that encodes the messages, and no one can read your messages except the intended uses. These encrypted messages can only be decrypted or decoded by only that user to whom you have sent the messages.
All the links and messages you share through messenger are monitored and checked by the moderators. Whenever they find something suspicious, or against the policy of company moderators block such messages automatically.
- Facebook has never preferred the privacy of users, and it only focuses on its growth.
- The data on messenger has been breached several times, and cyber criminals steal the personal information of the users.
- The login information of the user is stored in the text plains.
3. Snapchat
Snapchat has now become popular among the youngsters these days, for erasing the pictures and videos sent in only 24 hours, thus guaranteeing the confidentiality and protecting against the preservation and leakage of risky media.
- Snapchat has a geolocator, and the map helps you find the location of your friends.
- It requires your permission to access your accounts.
- After accessing your accounts, Snapchat shows you those friends who use Snapchat so that you can connect with them.
- You can see the nearby friends according to your location, and your location is also not hidden while using this app.
- Snapchat also does not use end-to-end encryption technology, so your messages are not safe on this app.
Go to settings of your phone and check those applications which ask permission to monitor your location. You should only allow the navigational apps to find your current location.
4. Accu Weather
Because of their definition, weather apps use your location to inform you of the temperature and climate. This app is easy to use and tells you about the upcoming storms and clouds. This app has a complete record of your location, and in 2017 it was reported that it shared the information of its users like the local wifi connections, GPS data, and your BSSID.
This app monitors the location of users while running in the background, and AccuWeather sold the places of the users. The third parties were then able to track the movements, practices, and scarcely identify users’ exact location within a few meters.
- Only use these apps to check the weather, and soon after checking the weather, close the apps and do not let them reaccess your location without your knowledge and consent.
- If you worry about security, it may be the smartest move to stick to your phone’s default weather apps.
5. WeChat
More than a billion people use WeChat, and it is China’s number one all-in-one application, operated by a tech giant company, Tencent. The Chinese Government initially limits any company or app which does not provide complete access to the users and their data. All the personal information you share on WeChat is not safe. Chinese Government can access your messages, and they don’t even need your permission.
WeChat does not provide any encryption to the messages you share, and they are easily accessible at the back end. Amnesty International assigned ratings for best encryption of chat apps, and WeChat scored 0 in that ratting.
Solutions for the Privacy applications
- Before downloading any application, take some time, and read the privacy policies of apps. These apps mention about the access they need and permissions that you have to give. Do not download any app which needs extra permissions.
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- It is always recommended to download the apps from the secure and trustworthy stores. Android users should download the game from the Google Play store, and you must read the comments and reviews of users.
- The new updates of applications provide you with better security. So always keep updating the existing apps and uninstall the unnecessary apps.
- Using a Virtual Private Network provides you an extra layer of security. RitaVPN is one of the best and most secure VPN services. If there are some vulnerable applications in your device, RitaVPN automatically encrypts each connection of these apps. RitaVPN completely hides your IP address, and no one can monitor your online activities.
