Dangers of technology

[Jackie7]

Well here's a new one, to me at least, and kind of amusing too. I'm buying a technical book from Amazon on my realname account and I will get free shipping if I buy something else so I browse the brassieres and order a longline style I can't find locally.

Now here comes a pop-up window offering to show my new purchase to all my Facebook friends ... Which includes several of my grandchildren. The popup offered a choice to post or not post, and fortunately I was paying enough attention to kill it. But the way things are going the default could as easily have been the opposite, and closing the window would have auto-posted the photo. I don't really give a damn, but it is yet another example of how out of control all this social media stuff has become. Yikes I feel like an ancient curmudgeon typing that!

[Lucy Lou]

I usually delete my photos quite quickly anyway. I have an iphone and I had to de-activate the GPS and tracking of my photos. Secretly, I liked the idea that some one in the cyber world might have seen some of my pictures and thought, 'wow look at that guy, what a so and so' The thought of someone close is another thing altogether.

I hate the way companies decide things for me. I want to chose who looks at me dressed and that is the end of it. We all have to be very aware these days, I have been scammed a few times but I was quick to see through it. I didn't go to the police because they are really not interested if no one gets hurt.

What worries me is the thought that they are storing photos on a data base without my knowledge. If that is the case then there is nothing any of us can do about it.

Lucy Lou xxx

[freeindress]

If that is the case then there is nothing any of us can do about it.

Unless everybody avoids social networks and educates herself to host her photos at home or VPS then gives strong passwords to chosen friends.

[Diana81]

First night I fully dressed, I got my mobile phone robbed, with all the photos I had taken of myself. I'm still in fear that they will pop up in my life, anytime.

[Samantha_Smile]

I have the S4 too, rooted it on the 3rd day, and now I love it!
Anyhoo, I can see why the auto upload is useful, instant back up, no sync needed. It's very convenient for the majority of people.
But we are not in a majority. We're quite niche.
I always check privacy and permissions with any new software instal, its just the sensible thing to do knowing that google , facebook et al are trying to add convenience at the detriment of privacy.

I think this thread is more to do with user error than google policy :P

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Aeslyn, You really have to be careful with those new fangled gadgets.

[Eryn]

I always check privacy and permissions with any new software instal...

The problem is that with updates the option is always "Give us access to your data or you can't use this software." There doesn't seem to be any way to limit a particular application's access to your data to less than the app provider wants. Yes, one can always say "don't install it" but that means that I now have an old, possibly vulnerable, version of that app on my phone. I lose either way.

[Samantha_Smile]

The problem is that with updates the option is always "Give us access to your data or you can't use this software." There doesn't seem to be any way to limit a particular application's access to your data to less than the app provider wants. Yes, one can always say "don't install it" but that means that I now have an old, possibly vulnerable, version of that app on my phone. I lose either way.

I know what you're saying, but you're wrong.
When an app ask for permissions and it shows you that list, when it asks for your 'personal information' or your phone's location, it's usually for a reason as there will be some functionality that requires a component under a certain banner heading.
Did you know that everything that has keyboard input requests access to your whole keyboard?
Seems harmless?
Did you know that stock keyboards keep history?
Am I worried?
No.
The headings, if you actually read them and follow up on what they mean, are still very harmless. Malware is another issue, but generally with software, if something gets out that you didn't want 'out' then 99.9999999999% of the time, it will be down to user error.

Still not happy, root the device and download the root only software that grants you control over all permissions right from your handset.
Like I did.