A naukri.com initiative
Medium
4w
226
Image Credit: Medium
The Hidden Cost of Free: How AI, Apps, and Crypto Are Exploiting Your Data, Especially in Africa…
- Smartphone growth in Africa and Asia poses privacy risks to users, with popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok collecting extensive data.
- Dark patterns and weak laws contribute to data exploitation by apps in these regions, raising concerns about user awareness.
- AI technologies such as voice assistants and chatbots also gather user data, as seen in cases like Google contractors listening to private voice messages.
- The illusion of anonymity in crypto transactions can lead to the collection of sensitive data like wallet IDs and IP addresses.
- Issues with personal data collection extend to crypto mining apps like PI Network, which request significant personal information for access.
- Lack of government intervention, outdated laws, and dependence on foreign tech contribute to data privacy violations in African and Asian nations.
- Open source tools like Signal and Firefox offer more transparent and secure alternatives for privacy-critical activities.
- Recommendation to use open source tools for messaging, browsing, and file storage to enhance privacy protection.
- Suggestions include using the Brave browser to access apps via web versions and turning off unnecessary permissions like microphone and camera access.
- Advocacy for utilizing private VPNs like Mullvad and avoiding social media logins to prevent extensive tracking by tech companies.
- Awareness on data privacy rights and the importance of questioning the practices of apps, crypto tools, and smartphones to safeguard personal information.
Read Full Article
13 Likes
For uninterrupted reading, download the app