From editing a video or photo to checking the weather or making an urgent purchase, your mobile apps offer users quick and easy solutions to everyday problems. However, before using them for the first time – especially those that are free – we are asked the following question: “Allow the app to track activity?”
A priori, the possible answers are simple: “Ask the app not to track” or “Allow.” Below, we explain what it means for an app to track you and the consequences that this could have on your digital footprint.
Mobile apps have the ability to monitor and collect data about your activity on and off the phone. By consenting to tracking, apps will be able to obtain information about other applications you use or the websites you frequently visit. The main destination of this data is its use for commercial purposes, since in this way, the company that provides the service will be able to offer users personalized advertisements that are more in line with their interests and behavior.
All of this makes up a huge amount of information that the user provides to the application. These data include, for example, location, searches performed and pages viewed, applications used and even purchases made. In the event that this information is shared with third parties, the reach of the user’s digital footprint will be even greater.
Although sending personalized advertising may interest us as users, tracking may entail significant risks to our privacy. In principle, the information shared is anonymous, but the data can be traced back to specific individuals. It may also happen that this data is used to impersonate an identity or commit fraud in the event that the information falls on groups dedicated to cybercrime.
Therefore, it is advisable to take some considerations before deciding whether or not to accept apps tracking our data. Cybersecurity experts recommend:
In any case, remember that you can always activate and deactivate this type of permissions from the privacy section of the application settings.
