Lost-Phone Apps Protect Your Device, Not Your Privacy



Different emerging technologies focus on safeguarding your phone, from apps to tracking tags, so prematurely saying sayonara to your handset may become a thing of the past. But don't get too excited. The same technology that tracks and monitors your missing phone also means you're easy to track down and monitor when you're carrying a phone.

Track That Phone

People are already retrieving lost or stolen phones using simple apps. There's a slew of phone tracking apps you can download as preventive measures: for instance, open source software called Prey protects phones from theft. It runs in the background of phones, computers and other gadgets and you can activate it to find the GPS coordinates of your device once it goes missing.

And there are options to use even after your phone vanishes. If you have an iPhone, downloading Find My iPhone can save you hundreds of dollars. Once it's on your phone, you can track the missing handset using GPS. If you use iCloud, you can access the info on your computer or tablet, and if you don't, you can download the app to a friend's iPhone and enter in your information.

As long as the phone has data, you can make it emit a loud beeping noise and write a message to whoever finds it asking them to contact you. Even if no one responds, you will get the GPS coordinates for the phone, so you can go get it.

That's a huge help if you simply misplaced your phone, or if you leave it at a restaurant or club with honest workers. And if it ends up in the wrong hands and you think it's gone for good, you can remotely lock and wipe it, so whoever has it can't log into your e-mail or download the world's most expensive apps.

If you have an Android, the concept behind Plan B is similar to Find My iPhone, except you use Google Play to access the information about your phone. You can get a text sent to a friend's phone detailing the location, making for a simple rescue mission even if you're away from a computer.

Of course, if someone stole your phone, they may be savvy enough to turn off the data, which renders these apps useless. But if you simply left the phone at a friend's house, or you're dealing with a less-than-astute thief, you can probably get the phone back — as long as you're willing to show up and deal with them. It's wise to show up with friends, or contact local law enforcement, since someone willing to keep your property may behave aggressively when you try to get it back.

What's the Problem?

A lost phone used to mean wasted time and money for a replacement, but as mobile devices become increasingly important to our lives, the loss often feels cataclysmic, considering how much data is on there. The more uses we have for our phones, the greater the damage from tracking, intrusion and hacking. This is due in part to the very technology that helps us find our phones in the first place — it seems every innovation to secure the devices can be exploited by hackers and others for malicious ends. The irony is, the technology used to help track down your device when lost can be used against you.

For example, app hiding programs, like App Hider for Android, provide ways to use your phone to follow your movements. With them, you can install a tracking app on someone else's phone and hide it so they never know it is there. In addition to sounding like a windfall for jealous spouses, it's deeply troubling for people who value their privacy.

Even if you disable your GPS, if someone really wants to track you, they can insert a Bluetooth-enabled tracking sticker underneath the battery cover of your phone, which will allow them to find your phone (and, presumably, you). And if they do have the technical knowledge, they can set up programs to surreptitiously keep tabs on you.

In addition to your whereabouts, smartphones can also carry sensitive financial data, as more and more people use the mobile devices for financial transactions. Hackers are exploiting mobile technology to ferret out this sensitive information, which is a problem for e-wallets and companies pushing mobile transactions but also troubling for everyone.

As the sophistication of tracking technology grows, so do people's worry that it can be misused. The nefarious use of these tools may trigger a backlash, extending to the federal government. Politicians are drafting legislation meant to tighten regulations on the way companies collect smartphone information and review law enforcement officials' access to the data. If the legislation passes, some tracking apps will be neutered. But that doesn't mean people will be free from having their information monitored and stored. In addition to location tracking, your online behavior is cataloged and followed.

Smartphones are useful tools and fantastic entertainment devices, but they come with a price: they provide an opportunity to track your whereabouts and numerous chances to stockpile information about how you use the phone. It's nice to keep a tight hold on your phone, but even as new technologies assuage concerns about losing your phone, they also foster legitimate worries about privacy.

Photo courtesy of Flickr, ale'streets

This article originally published at Mobiledia here

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