Beware! Apps Are Secretly Recording Your Screens – How To Stop It?

In 2018, the privacy of users have become a huge joke for big tech companies. We are the target users, and companies are going to do anything, literally anything to sell ads. Recently a small group researchers from in Boston have found out that apps are recording the smartphone screens to understand the user’s behaviour.

The researchers at the university have found that some of the big and most popular Android apps are recording the smartphone screens. Thee apps make videos and take screenshots, and are sending it to other companies, without user’s knowledge.

Recording Smartphone Screens For Targeted Advertisement

According to the report, the researchers have analysed and monitored the total traffic generated by different smartphone applications. They checked whether the apps are overhearing or recording any user activity or behaviour on the app.

They found out that these apps are recording the screens and are sending it to third-parties and Facebook for targeted advertisement.

The research was carried out on 17,000 most popular applications on Android. It was done check whether these apps record any audio from the phone’s mic without the user’s knowledge.

How The Research Was Carried Out?

The researchers used ten Android devices which ran an automated program to interact with the apps. The program created usernames and passwords on their own and interacted with each of the Android apps and then analysed the total amount of traffic generated.

The researchers were also checking if a media file is being sent from a smartphone, is that shared with an unexpected party or not.

Facebook The Mastermind?

The research was carried out on a total of 17,260 Android apps. It included some of the major apps made or owned by the social media giant Facebook. Interestingly, more than 8,000 apps were sending user data and information to Facebook.

Currently, over 9,000 apps on Android had permission from users to access the smartphone camera and microphone, paving a potential pathway to spy or watch an user.

Apps Are Watching Your Every Decision You Make On Your Smartphone

Concluding the research, your mobile apps may not be recording or listening to what you say, but certainly they are keeping an eye on every decision we are making on our smartphone screens. Basically, you are the target customer, and companies are going to find ways on how to sell their ads better.

The apps record your screen activities, and the same are being sent to third-party entities and Facebook for your personalized advertisements.

So, What Can You Do To Stop It?

You need to be very cautious while granting permission to any app. After you download a new app, do not grant permission like access to media files or your location or camera or microphone. Don’t download suspicious apps or even if you are using one, be alert and selective on what you do on the app.

It’s you who can save yourself from being the next victim. If you are being careless about the technology you are using, you only will have to pay the price.

Image Credit: safeguarde dot com