Dave Eggers’ The Circle has been on my bookshelf for a few months. I have not yet dared to open it. I try to ignore the whole privacy issue a little and trust that governments and other organisations mean well. Because I spend so much of my working life online, it feels completely familiar. But my colleague Inger’s article arguing that online privacy does not exist brings me back to reality. I decide to take a quick look at the protection offered by my most-used apps.
Online banking
My banking app is one of the apps I use most. Just a five-digit code protects my hard-earned money from the outside world. I use it anywhere and everywhere and trust my bank completely. Perhaps not so wise, particularly on public Wi-Fi. According to De Correspondent, these networks can be hacked easily and all kinds of information collected, including banking details. The equipment involved is inexpensive and apparently straightforward to use. Hmm. From now on, I will at least turn off Wi-Fi and increase my mobile data allowance.
A blue dinosaur
Facebook and privacy seem like a soap opera. First it acquired WhatsApp, and now you have to download a separate Messenger app to send private messages. Complaints about the app’s privacy policy are everywhere: Facebook reportedly wants access to contacts, permission to message or call them, and access to the phone and camera. Belgium’s Newsmonkey suggests that Facebook wants to dominate your whole smartphone. ZDNet offers another perspective: “What did you expect? It’s Facebook!”
Facebook itself seems to be listening to criticism, introducing blue dinosaurs to make users more aware of their settings. NUtech even reports substantial improvements in Facebook’s approach to privacy. Despite that renewed awareness, private profiles still seem to offer questionable reassurance to me. A simple Google search turns up numerous programs claiming to hack Facebook profiles. Anyone with bad intentions can find them easily.
Videos
Social media spreads all kinds of videos, often sensational ones. Dave Roelvink’s sex video is currently a hot topic — the link leads to reporting, not the video itself. Beware: links purporting to show such videos can contain malware. In January, a supposed video of Michael Schumacher’s skiing accident circulated widely on social media but turned out to be malicious. The same happened with a video claiming to show the MH17 crash. This resource explains how to recognise such scams and what to do about them.
This is by far my most-used app. After Facebook’s acquisition, I briefly joined Telegram alongside crowds of other worried users. Soon, though, my friends and I returned to WhatsApp. Then someone told me that the United States could stop you at the border based on your conversation history. I could not quickly establish whether that was true. Meanwhile, a June article in Trouw claimed that WhatsApp was allowed to resell users’ material. Google also readily turns up programs claiming to hack WhatsApp.
Offline
I am not exactly reassured. Your data feels vulnerable and every use leaves traces. That is before we even consider online identity and the potential for fraud. Even if website and app developers mean well, breaking in appears all too easy for malicious actors. Should we go completely offline? I do not want to go that far. But I will no longer close my eyes to the privacy debate and hope everything works out. At least paying attention gives me ideas for making my internet use more secure. I think I will start The Circle this weekend, too.
Marlous
Photo and quotation credit: Trouw.
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