Privacy for Sale
My mom bought a new phone a few weeks ago. She has a habit of keeping the font size large, so she doesn't have to find her eyeglasses every time to read who's calling. She changed the font size to the largest available option on the device. But after a few minutes, it switched back to the default settings. She asked for my help and I did every possible thing I could do or knew, but the stubborn large size didn't last more than 15 minutes. I gave up, but she kept trying different methods, like downloading different launchers with big font sizes, but all in vain. She was disappointed with her purchase over something as menial as font size and forgot about other advanced features and specifications of the phone. I stopped asking her and eventually forgot about it. Then, one day, while talking to her, it suddenly crossed my mind, and I asked her if she was able to resolve that font size issue. She nodded happily and mocked me and my brother for having engineering degrees and still not be able to solve that issue. 😲 Ignoring the sweet insult, I asked her, how she did it?
She said I was so frustrated that one day, I cursed a lot at my phone, saying things like, you are making me insane; why can't you keep the large font size? I can't see anything; I will sell this useless phone, and some more things like that.
She said, and just like that, the settings didn't switch back to default again.
I was shocked.
We all know smartphones eavesdrop but to this extent? It's like, my mom didn't talk to a device but a human scamp who was teasing her but decided to behave upon reprimanding.
Although, I'm convinced that my mom made some other tweaks to the settings as it can't be true. I'm not ready to accept this kind of communication and response from a device. It is creepy.
This wasn't it. Once she lost a screenshot of a picture in her phone. It was right there in the screenshot folder of the gallery and then it disappeared. It was nowhere to be found, not even the deleted folder. She talked to her phone, described the picture and requested the phone to show it. Believe me, it appeared again in the screenshot folder.
Where are we headed? Such stunts creep me out big time to this day. This technology is a dangerous weapon, which, if not tamed, will destroy humankind.
It's not new information; companies do collect some personal data for targeted advertising, but I believe they steal more than they mention in privacy policies.
Yesterday, I came across a very cool e-commerce website with trendy products and great reviews from people all around the world. There were discounts on the app, so I downloaded it and started filling the cart with stuff that isn't easily available in Pakistan. Before I forget to mention, it was a Chinese website. Unlike Amazon, shipping was totally free. I had a nagging feeling; it was too good to be true because the products were very economical, too. I was about to enter my credit card info when I decided to research a little more about the website before checking out.
Okay, I'm not keeping the company name confidential. Everyone deserves to know.
It also says that Temu "is purposefully and intentionally loaded with tools to execute dangerous malware and spyware activities on user devices." The app is so invasive that it's even designed to harvest users' personal photos and videos, cybersecurity experts warn.
I have never been fooled online before because I play safe and am skeptical of almost everything new and different. I immediately deleted the app and forgot about buying anything from there.
I felt so betrayed because it turned out the website is legitimate, and most people are beyond satisfied with the quality of products except for a few complaints regarding customer service.
I'm not certain about how much truth there is to these allegations because some claim that Temu is safe but her sister site was involved in data theft and later on got banned. I just played safe and changed my password too.
This made me question all the sites where I have signed up. Can I trust any? I can't. We are constantly being monitored. Have you watched the Netflix show, 1899? It feels as if were are slowly entering into a world carefully simulated by advanced technology. There's some bigger power who's just toying with us like in that show. I should watch less fiction. But I would be lying if I said I'm not scared of how AI can now interpret and manipulate data. I'm scared for my kids who will have to live in an even more advanced world that God knows will bring what.
Anyhoo, I was thinking about what can be done to stay safe and protect our privacy. The extremist in me quickly jumps to the decision of ditching technology but is it even possible in these times? What one can do is to stay vigilant, skeptical, and conscious of all activities that involve technology, like switching off location and microphone when not needed. Not signing up on every single new app, avoiding unnecessary online shopping and only doing it from well-known or reputable sites. Especially, not giving your bank information and instead using Apple Pay, Google Pay or Paypal which are less threatening.
What else can be done to avoid data breaches? How do you try to stay safe and protect your privacy from selling?
Ah Temu, I was sure you were talking about them even before you wrote the name. I sometimes have a sixth sense and I failed to trust them, despite the wonderful and cheap things that keep popping up under my nose on FB. Wasn't the owner the richest man in China?
In fact, nothing Chinese can be trusted. I say this from my own unfortunate experience with a Huawei cell phone that hijacked my apps so I had no control over them, couldn't back up, nothing, to sign up to their cloud and back up there - such extortion for misappropriation of personal data it was. Unfortunately, such things do not work for me, and I read and dig a lot on the Internet until I find a solution to such problems. I also recently needed a video editing program and came across CapCut. It's all great until you see what people say about it about the brutal theft of personal data, files and all.
The things you write about your mother are funny on the one hand. Here, your mother has found a way to tame the naughty machine, this mischievous one who enjoys games like hide and seek, it is probably still very young and playing, it is having fun. I don't know how else to put it. The good thing is that the older generation doesn't take things as tragically as we do, who still have some idea of what's going on.
But many years ago I even read about a case of a woman walking into an empty room where there was only one smart TV, but it was turned off. She puts on perfume and goes out. And then she gets ads for that same perfume. Even then, I knew things were getting out of control. Or the cases where I've just thought of something and it appears as an ad on FB. Other people have told similar incidents too, even mentioned it on TV.
And to finally stop writing, 😅 I will only say that here I see a terrible paradox, which has been clearly visible in recent years. Human life is not important, it can easily be thrown to the winds, be it due to wars, diseases, deliberate poisoning, harmful foods, harmful medicines, etc. But on the other hand, it is actually very important, all this personal data is infinitely important, companies and governments are fighting to appropriate it. Why is that? 🤔
So, only I didn't know about this marketplace and yes its owner Colin Huang is the richest man in China. Here in Pakistan, Chinese goods are famous for their cheap quality but people still buy those for their uniqueness and the variety they offer in low rates. Poor economic conditions don't leave an option to go for quality but affordability.
So unfair and strange at the same time. I had been a Huawei user in the past, thankfully it didn't happen to me and after reading your experience, I wouldn't dare getting anything smart from that company.
Not Capcut please... I haven't researched anything about this app but I love using it whenever I need to edit videos. Infact, I only like this video editing app, until now probably.
Is anything trustworthy?
And you are right, older generation doesn't take these things seriously. They have lived their lives, most of it without technology and the rest enjoying it. They don't understand it like we do and are in bliss because of ignorance.
Creepy x100
Data is everything nowadays. It helps companies and governments to make big influential decisions. You have correctly identified a paradox - humans destroying humans to influence other humans?
What's my or your worth to these companies? A data profile?
Since I became aware of the paradox of YouTube for example, I am no longer sure that the data is collected simply to form a profile to receive ads. So, there companies pay to run ads and the user can pay not to see them. So, are ads important? I don't think so. The money for sure. Or FB with their intrusive ads and sponsored posts that almost never match my interests and what I'm looking for. I still haven't figured out why this is actually done. In countries like China, it's clear why - there every person is tracked and controlled at every turn, so Chinese "things" are presumptively designed to track I guess, even when destined for overseas.
By the way, I had a period when I often ordered things from AliExpress, but not technology, just practical little things that I could not find in Bulgaria. And at the moment I'm quite happy in some ways with the Chinese store in the next town where I buy clothes, underwear and socks from time to time. Some turn out to be quality, some not. But I can't complain as I am not in a position to buy expensive and quality things right now.
I forgot to ask you what your mother's new phone is. I think this is very important information nowadays - which brand how behaves and what stupid things it does.
Yesterday I accidentally opened the box of a Nokia G50 that I bought 2 years ago and it turned out to be defective in many ways. My partner said yesterday that it was the most wrong money I have ever given, but then again I wanted to escape the Chinese brand Huawei and bought a Nokia (made in China).😅
However, I haven't been able to use it for a long time, for many reasons, and yesterday I found it in its box in a very peculiar state, which I personally cannot explain, it was missing the software somehow. But whatever. I gave up on that brand too. For the moment, only Samsung holds the front, at least in terms of device quality and support.
There could be a dozen other reasons besides receiving ads like personalization for better user experience, research, fraud detection but such information can always be used inappropriately when in the wrong hands like for the identify theft, tailored phishing scams and for any possible gain.
My mother owns a Xiaomi... 🥲
I am a Samsung user and haven't experienced this extreme intrusive behaviour. Although I have some other issues with the phone but the brand holds the front for me as well.
Thanks for the info!
Xiaomi... that explains it all. I really like the design of all these Poco, Oppo, Honor, Xiaomi, Huawei and any other brand of Chinese stuff that flooded the Bulgarian market. But I won't make that mistake again. 😃
Yep its kinda scary when you have a discussion with someone...then an ad appears on your social media.
another thing i like to do is cover my webcam with a post it note when i am not using it.
Have a good day and stay off the internet LOL
I have been in the habit of covering my camera since the time I watched Snowden.
Stay off? I wish. Although, just got online after 14 hours - that should count for something. 😀