Category: Let's talk
With all these tracking devices available to do anything from, help you lose weight, tell you when your mood changes, and locate your next possible date, the question comes up: “How much do you trust the companies with your data?”
These things come in many forms, the apps on your smartphone, to the bracelet you wear on your wrist. Some companies have even posted tracking results on Google, like Fitbit.
I personally, don’t use any digital tracking devices for anything, except my iPhone, and even that is limited to things I feel aren’t personal. If I am going someplace I don’t wish to be tracked I turn off location tracking, or the phone completely. I haven’t had occasion to do this, but always keep it in mind.
I am also picky about the apps I install. If an app doesn’t have a great benefit to me, but needs my location to work, and tracks my behavior, or such things, I won’t install it, or I use the new privacy settings if I had to have it. I haven’t found one I had to have yet, so.
What do you think, and how much of your privacy have you given over to the trust of a digital tracking device and the company that monitors, and stores your data?
I don't trust any of them. I'm pretty paranoid that way though. lol I'll check in on FB every now and then if I'm somewhere really cool and if someone is at home. Other than that, nobody needs to know my business.
Agreed. Unless I'm using the GPS to get somewhere, no app needs to know where I'm going and what I get up to, thank you very much. I used to get mildly annoyed with people who would check in to a place on facebook and include me in the post; my location was being disclosed whether I wanted it or not. Paranoia, I guess.
Not only location, but you can have other things tracked.
How many calories you burn doing what kind of activities. You can track your moods, find a blind date in the area you will be at, for example, I'm going to be at Harry's bar between 7 and 10 p.M, but your specs up, and other people with the app can drop around to meet you depending on if they like what you posted.
Your medical history can be placed on a site, what you buy, and why, the list is endless.
All this data is stored by a company that claims to make your life easier by keeping this data for you, so you can be offered services.
You now can list your cellphone number.
Did you know, but when you talk to Siri, Apple keeps 6 months of records of what you ask? After the 6 months it is suppose to not be personal anymore, so not tied to you, but!
With more tools to use, we give up more privacy it seems.
yeah, location is probably as far as I'll go if any. I have location on mine because I am too lazy to turn it off, I should though. but turn it back on to use gps I want one for my phone and stuff.
I'm pretty paranoid about this sort of thing, so if I use applications that ask to use information I consider personal, I don't allow them to do so. I always turn my location off, as well.
hell, I'm considering getting rid of my Facebook account, one of the reasons being that I feel I don't really know what's private/only visible to people I'm friends with.
I'm aware you can change privacy settings, which I've done. however, I'm still paranoid about who can see what, even though I don't put my business out there.
I'm not even sure I entirely trust the weather app on my IPhone. So I don't know if I'd trust any of that other stuff.
One of the many reasons I am no longer on facebook or twitter... tried them both, and I honestly don't think that anyone needs to know where I am and what I'm doing... When I was back east visiting friends it was kinda cool to post the neat places I'd been and the cool things I was doing, but I never ever ever posted that I was with someone without their permission, because it is not only my privacy, but theirs... and don't get me started on Foursquare!
As for purchase history... we live in a digital age, so like it or not, unless you want to go completely off the grid and have paycheques and bills paid and deposited in cash only... it's gonna get tracked by someone somewhere.
True, true, but it doesn't have to get back to them and you don't know it.
"GPS that hasn't been turned off. She spend 30 minutes in the bathroom at the Johnson hotel. Now send her some room and toiletry cupons." Lol
that's why I don't use facebook and twitter like that, I use it more as a megaphone for my thoughts and ideas I do write other stuff by it but what I consider public but I did make my private because a few people found it funny to make fun of a few jokes I made. Yes, I know one of them was very very very slightly crude but come-on. It wasn't really anything anyway. and I either don't put exact location or don't put it at all you do have that option. I put very vague locations state or county and my county is fairly large so I don't see anything wrong with that besides most people actually think I love in los angeles city even if I said county