Google and Facebook are by far worse than these companies. As our marketing company works directly with these two. They are open and have told us how they track us and can literally read (especially google) everything you have said or was typing and deleted.
Thanks for this eye opening reporting.
I can’t help but think of Tim Cook’s blistering response to the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica/Russian meddling debacle.
His holier than thou cries of “privacy is a human right” and “we would never” traffic in customer data fall devastating flat after hearing this podcast. Shameful.
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Love that they studied up on this. Very creative way to get through a stone-wall. Talk to the marketing guys! I don't know who likes to talk details more - marketers or engineers. Two great ways to get the real story.
Surprised that you did not mention the Russian phone app called “Women Near Me”, which uses phone number matching to Facebook and other data to show a map with photos of women who are near you, and follows their movements through the map. The perfect stalking app!
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This story was not groundbreaking.
Also, can you guys do one about HRT, also known as upspeak, uptalk, rising inflection, or high rising intonation (HRI) because too many of your reporters have this and it's very disturbing and almost unlistenable, especially because it's reporting. I am compelled to switch off the podcast immediately if there's too much of it. There was a lot of it on today's episode. Please spread the word. I wish there was an app that can be developed that you leave open when you record podcasts where it detects HRT and it sounds an alarm so reporters and journalists are more aware. Maybe even develop a fitbit type device where it sends mini vibrations whenever it detects too much upspeaks. Thanks! This would be more groundbreaking than location tracking.
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@Brian thank you for commenting on this. English is not my first language and anytime I hear reporters using upspeak it sounds as if they are asking a question rather than stating something. It makes me wonder if they really know what they are talking about or if they are guessing. Also, as a woman, I am aware how it makes female reporters sound less inquisitive and less opinionated - which obviously makes my heart cringe.
@Brian. Re too much HRT: I suggest turning it all off and go do something else. Personally I wish there were far less apps and more actual listening and real discussion going on. I find it disturbing to see so many people not looking up while walking or even driving because their eyes are glued on their iPhone...what does they say about our culture? Also w/ GPS, which was created w/ taxpayer $ for NASA, is a great invention but the safety issues are enormous..and how about learning to use a map, it's safe inexpensive and no hacking is possible. Don't get me wrong, I am no Ludite, I love the "miracle" of the Internet and I love the possibilities of computers and I was an "early adaptor"but I worry that tech over dependency is making people unhealthy, unfit and is interfering w/ natural brain creative processes, particularly w/kids. Whoever controls these (unnecessary) devices controls ALL the data & knowledge which is a precarious position to be in. Balance & moderation in all things is the way to go. Too much money is involved now and of course far too much plastic and toxic substances are involved in their manufacture and the relatively quick disposal creates even more toxic garbage. Maybe we should rethink all this convenience and consider the consequences we will have to live with...or die from if we keep on this plastic path. If there are future Archeologists they will never see the contents of "The Cloud" but they will see tons & tons of plastic garbage and wonder why?
Thank you for this podcast. Two months ago a former student of mine was murdered while having dinner with a friend at a restaurant. He was tracked down by the two men who wanted to do him harm because his location was broadcast by Snapchat.
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I would have liked to have heard the reporters talk about what consumers can do to protect their location data. Does turning off “Location Services” on your phone help?
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@Julie it surely helps, but who is going to renounce to all the benefits of sharing location, e.g. get weather updates, know which train to take, get an uber, get traffic updates, which are in itself not threatening and not dangerous?
We as citizens (I couldn't get myself to refer to us humans as users) definitely need to be more tech savvy and aware of what the actual price for the free apps is, however companies are the ones that need to be regulated on how they sell data and how the data is used. New technologies need new policies.
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This has been well known to technologists, and has been occurring since mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, palmtops, chromebooks) became common after 2007.
Most troubling is Google's data collection practices - which makes Android devices (including Amazon's Kindle devices also using Android).
Google and Amazon require you to agree to give them for free every information these devices collect or know about you, including where you are (your GPS location) at all times. If you have setup an Android or Kindle device, then you have legal consent. One cannot enable Android/Kindle devices without doing so.
The danger is that Google/Amazon pass on data to every app that you have downloaded. Years ago I had a "flashlight" app that I later found was getting all of my phone/contacts info. There is no reason for such an app to collect that private info. Yet Google passed my info on to the app company (who can be anyone - often a kid in China with your phone #, address, name, etc).
Apple's devices are more aware of privacy and have always had more protection over our data. Apple devices let you disable your GPS and other data from being forwarded to any/all apps. Though doing so may make the app not function (a GPS/driving app can't do much without your GPS location).
We need to take ownership of our data. It reveals EVERYTHING about is: where we sleep @night, where we work, the roads we drive, our children's daycare, our car mechanic, etc.
We need stronger laws & regulations.
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Your article made me wonder if law enforcement is currently using app location technology to discover suspects in a crime. Then I wondered if that was legal.
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It's crazy that this doesn't get more coverage, but I guess most companies participate in this and don't want this becoming common knowledge.
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