Posting New Apps- Red Flags?

[SPROINGY]

Hi Everybody,
When we install a new App, there’s Privacy Policy & Terms of Service that come with it. Necessary? Yeah. Boring? You tell me!

To the point: These Privacy Policy & Terms of Service are asking for personal info about you. That’s standard.

Where do you draw the line? When do you say, ‘I’m not giving them that info?’

Info can/is used against you. So, when you run into questions where you see a Red Flag that tells you, ‘No! They have no business asking me about that? I’d rather not use the App (appealing though it may be), because I’m not telling them personal info they have no business asking for?’

Especially free Apps that make their money from advertising?

Re: Personal info that’s none of their business- Any exact examples of requests for info that would cause me (us) to raise a Red Flag, and pass on installing the App as a result?

Thank You

 

[twerppoet]

I consider three things.

1) Does the app need these services to work properly?

Maps, weather and a few other apps need location for all features to work properly. If an app does not need Location to work, I block it. If the app does not work, or incessantly bugs me about it, I find another app.

2) Is the company one I am willing trust with my info (based on reputation and privacy policy)

This is mostly based on how established a company is, and their reputation. An established company has a lot more at risk by abusing your permissions than a fly-by-night one app developer. Of course, reputation is important. Some companies are so big and dominant in their area that you can only decide on whether to use them, and live with their policies, or do without the service all together.

3) How much damage can that kind of info do me, or is likely to do.

Some private info is only that, private. Losing it an annoyance, but the results are minimal, or sometimes even beneficial, like ads you want to see (if you want to see ads at all). Some info like your address, phone number, etc. can be used to scam or steal your identity. Guarding that is still a matter of the above, but with much stricter enforcement.

So that’s how I do it.

 

[SPROINGY]

Sorry for the late reply, twerppoet! I think your logic is excellent, well, I’m going to follow it!

Your point #3 makes me smile. With tech evolving so rapidly, it’s hard to get an exact answer to that one!

 

[twerppoet]

You’re welcome.