4/20 Do You Know What Your Mobile Browser Knows About You?

4/20 https://youtu.be/59bRrqgKLf0

​Popular mobile web browsers collect more data than you think.

Mobile browsers — especially the phone and tablet versions of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge — collect a surprising amount of data from users. Depending on the phone OS you use, the browser you choose, and the settings on your device, you might be giving the browser maker an uncomfortable level of access to your life and your business.

As usual, staying informed is key: once you know what’s happening behind the scenes, you can make informed decisions about your risk comfort level.

What Do Mobile Browsers Collect?

There’s the usual suspects: browsing history, saved passwords, and probably some form of payment details. No surprise here — you expect mobile browsers to retain details like these for convenience’s sake and to power capabilities we all rely on.

But recent research found that some browsers collect a lot more than that. Your phone likely already knows everywhere you’ve been, and some browsers happily gobble that information up. There’s also files you’ve viewed, saved, or downloaded. Certain media files, like photos or recorded audio, could also be fair game.

Why Do They Collect This Data?

Usually, there is some clear use case behind the data collection. Location history could be used to surface or pre-load certain web resources when you reach a location where you always use those resources. Access to photos and audio could make it easier to use that media on websites you visit — that sort of thing.

Ultimately, most apps can’t do what they’re supposed to do without collecting some amount of data. Data collection also helps app makers personalize your experiences and sync accounts across devices.

Of course, the internet runs on data, so some browser makers have other motives for collecting data (or at least extra intentions of what they’ll do with it once they have it). Kind of like how Google Maps is only so good because Google collects so much navigation data from billions of users and devices . . . and conveniently gains the ability to send users targeted ads in the maps app and elsewhere.

The Risks to Your Business

Mobile browsers’ “generous” data collection policies do create some concerns for business users. None of these are code-red concerns that should lead you to toss your phone in the river, but each is worth knowing about and considering how to mitigate.

Third-Party Data Access

Companies that collect your data very often sell that data to third-party data brokers. Surprised? Well, we all agree to it somewhere in those pages upon pages of legalese in the User Agreement.

Reputable companies do this in ways that are generally considered reputable, leading to a result that many end users actually like: targeted offers and ads. The thinking goes that if you’re going to see ads no matter what, then if you’re in the market for sports gear, you’d rather see ads for sports gear than for baby products or furniture.

Still, you don’t have a lot of control over what companies choose to do here. And if it’s business-related data getting collected and sold, that might be a concern.

The Big Picture

The other concern, especially for businesses, is kind of the cumulative effect of this data collection. Knowing the websites you frequent is just part of the equation. But knowing where and when you access those sites starts to paint a pattern of your work week. Tying browsing data to location data could reveal a surprising amount of business-related information, not to mention personal info.

Risk of a Data Breach

There’s also the risk of a data breach. The more your browser knows and stores, the more that attackers could theoretically access in the case of a breach.

Next Steps

One practical next step is to check your browser’s app permissions in your phone’s settings app. You may not have realized everything you agreed to in the User Agreement, but you’ll see it all laid out more clearly here. Disable permissions that you didn’t intend to give.

Another is to be extra careful about joining unknown or unprotected Wi-Fi networks. If your device or network gets compromised, all that extra stored data creates extra risk.

That’s it for this week, but if we can help your business with IT or security, give us a call at 828.490.1772!

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