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SAMSUNG has revealed exactly how to unlock its fastest charging tech on your Galaxy phone. The company's smartphones support fast (and even super-fast) charging – if you've got the right kit. If you're constantly struggling to get your Samsung Galaxy phone powered up in time, it can be a...
Summary: Voice assistant apps and devices like Siri, Alexa, and Google Home are truly convenient, but using them means tradeoffs in privacy protection. They “listen” to your words, turn those words into data, and sell your information to data brokers. Learn the privacy risks involved, and how to better protect your personal data. No matter what your phone’s microphone picks up, know that your personal data is being sold to data brokers If you’ve ever asked a question of Siri, Alexa, or the personas behind any other voice assistant app, you might have wondered whether the reply you received was the end of the story. Is it true that your phone and other smart devices continue to “listen” even when you’re not directly speaking to them? The answer is yes, your phone is listening to you. It can do so even if you’re not specifically speaking to it. But that’s not all it’s doing. While it’s important to know the circumstances in which voice assistants, smart speakers, and other digital devices might be picking up conversations in the room, it’s equally important to recognize all the other ways that a device can record and track your data, including your search history and your social media footprint. In short, whether or not your phone is actually recording private conversations, know that your personal information is being sold. Here’s how it happens, and what you can do to mitigate the risks. Privacy Risks of Voice Assistant Apps and Smart Devices Voice assistant apps and devices like Siri, Amazon Echo (Alexa), and Google Home play an ever-greater role in our lives, but there’s a tradeoff in privacy. According to a survey conducted by Ponemon Institute , 69% of Americans say they have concerns about protecting the privacy of their data when using these apps and devices. Some of these concerns involve safety and security. For example, Amazon Echo’s microphones record sounds in the room, whether or not you’re directly speaking to Alexa. This poses a number of potential security risks , including the opportunity for scammers to hijack control of the device through hidden audio commands. Meanwhile, when you grant permission for an app or smart device to access your phone’s camera and microphone , you could be opening the door cybercriminals secretly recording audio or video without your knowledge, identifying you through facial recognition, and more. Your Spoken Words Are Data, and They’re for Sale By far the biggest privacy tradeoff, however, is the ability of voice assistant apps and smart devices to build a profile of you, track you while you’re online, and sell your information to so-called data broker websites , which in turn sell your information to advertisers and other third parties. It’s completely legal for them to do so, because you gave these apps and devices permission to track you when you agreed to their usage terms. This explains why, if you ask Alexa how much a certain car costs, you might soon start seeing digital ads for local auto dealers. You’re being tracked through your search history, much as if you had typed that same query into Google. Whether or not your phone is actually recording private conversations, know that your personal information is being sold How to Minimize Privacy Risks from Your Phone and Apps So, how can you continue to enjoy all of the convenience and functionality of voice assistant apps and smart devices, while reducing privacy risks and limiting the exposure of your personal data? Consider a comprehensive privacy protection package of the kind offered by IDX. It gives you access to valuable tools designed to safeguard your personal information, regardless of how your phone or other smart device receives and records the data. These tools include: ForgetMe Personal Data Removal – Once your information lands on a data broker site, it’s difficult and time-consuming to get it manually removed. ForgetMe does this for you automatically. It also watches for your profile’s reappearance on these sites and automatically requests removal as many times as necessary. Tracking B
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