Question
Selcuk Uluagac is an electrical and computer engineer. He works at Florida International University in Miami. “Fortunately, there is not anything like [these sensor spying techniques] in real life that we’ve seen yet,” he notes. “But this doesn’t mean there isn’t a clear danger out there that we should be protecting ourselves against.”
That’s because the types of algorithms that researchers have used to comb through sensor data are getting more advanced and user-friendly all the time, says Mehrnezhad at Newcastle University. It’s not just people with PhDs who can design these types of privacy invasions, she says. App developers who don’t understand machine-learning algorithms can easily get this kind of code online to build sensor-sniffing programs.
What’s more, smartphone sensors don’t just provide snooping opportunities for cybercrooks who peddle info-stealing software. Legitimate apps often harvest info to compile such things as your search-engine and app-download history. The makers of these apps sell that info to advertising companies and outside parties. They could use the data to learn aspects of a user’s life that this person might want to keep private.
Take a health-insurance company. It may charge more to insure someone who doesn’t get much exercise. So “you may not like them to know if you are a lazy person or you are an active person,” Mehrnezhad says. Yet with your phone’s motion sensors, “which are reporting the amount of activity you’re doing every day, they could easily identify what type of user you are.” How can apps abuse the information collected by sensors?
They suggest other helpful apps for you.
They improve their products for you.
They use it to blackmail you.
They sell your information to other people.
That’s because the types of algorithms that researchers have used to comb through sensor data are getting more advanced and user-friendly all the time, says Mehrnezhad at Newcastle University. It’s not just people with PhDs who can design these types of privacy invasions, she says. App developers who don’t understand machine-learning algorithms can easily get this kind of code online to build sensor-sniffing programs.
What’s more, smartphone sensors don’t just provide snooping opportunities for cybercrooks who peddle info-stealing software. Legitimate apps often harvest info to compile such things as your search-engine and app-download history. The makers of these apps sell that info to advertising companies and outside parties. They could use the data to learn aspects of a user’s life that this person might want to keep private.
Take a health-insurance company. It may charge more to insure someone who doesn’t get much exercise. So “you may not like them to know if you are a lazy person or you are an active person,” Mehrnezhad says. Yet with your phone’s motion sensors, “which are reporting the amount of activity you’re doing every day, they could easily identify what type of user you are.” How can apps abuse the information collected by sensors?
They suggest other helpful apps for you.
They improve their products for you.
They use it to blackmail you.
They sell your information to other people.
Answers
Answer
What is one answer choice thats correct?
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Apps can abuse the information collected by sensors in several ways:
1. **Selling Your Information to Other Parties**: Legitimate apps often gather personal data, including sensor readings, and sell this information to advertising companies and third parties. This could lead to unwanted targeted advertisements and the loss of privacy.
2. **Improving Products Based on Data**: While many apps claim to use collected data to enhance user experience, this can sometimes lead to overreach, where sensitive information is analyzed without user consent or knowledge, leading to potential privacy violations.
3. **Targeted Marketing and Profiling**: Apps can analyze sensor data to create profiles on users, allowing companies to market products specifically tailored to their behaviors and preferences, often without the user’s awareness.
4. **Potential for Blackmail or Manipulation**: In more malicious scenarios, the data could be used against individuals, such as threatening to expose private information if someone does not comply with certain demands.
Overall, while the intentions behind data collection may not always be harmful, the potential for misuse exists, emphasizing the need for better privacy protections and user awareness regarding the data their devices collect.
1. **Selling Your Information to Other Parties**: Legitimate apps often gather personal data, including sensor readings, and sell this information to advertising companies and third parties. This could lead to unwanted targeted advertisements and the loss of privacy.
2. **Improving Products Based on Data**: While many apps claim to use collected data to enhance user experience, this can sometimes lead to overreach, where sensitive information is analyzed without user consent or knowledge, leading to potential privacy violations.
3. **Targeted Marketing and Profiling**: Apps can analyze sensor data to create profiles on users, allowing companies to market products specifically tailored to their behaviors and preferences, often without the user’s awareness.
4. **Potential for Blackmail or Manipulation**: In more malicious scenarios, the data could be used against individuals, such as threatening to expose private information if someone does not comply with certain demands.
Overall, while the intentions behind data collection may not always be harmful, the potential for misuse exists, emphasizing the need for better privacy protections and user awareness regarding the data their devices collect.
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer choice is:
**They sell your information to other people.**
This accurately reflects a primary way that apps can misuse the information collected from sensors.
**They sell your information to other people.**
This accurately reflects a primary way that apps can misuse the information collected from sensors.
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