Family Tech Blog

Tag: phone

  • Top “Family” Android Apps Found to Collect Kids’ Data Without Parental Permission

    Top “Family” Android Apps Found to Collect Kids’ Data Without Parental Permission

    It’s so nice to just head to the Google Play store and grab a couple of free apps to keep your child busy for a few minutes. There are a lot of free options and Google Play has a “Designated for Families” section to help you know if the app will be safe. Unfortunately, many app developers haven’t been following the rules. Android’s compliance rules are very specific about requiring apps to stay true to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA.) That means there are certain types of data they aren’t allowed to collect without parental permission and other types they can’t gather at all. A recent research project has found that the majority of these apps ignore the rules of COPPA entirely.

    Overall, roughly 57% of the 5,855 child-directed apps that we analyzed are potentially violating COPPA. – Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies

    The study found that most apps collect the data of their users, even though the apps are geared towards an audience under 12 years of age. The research group formed from North American and European universities developed an automatic system to study nearly 6,000 apps. They looked at data such as ad tracking, location tracking, ID sharing, and wifi address tracking. Many of the transmissions were unsecured which put data at a greater risk.

     

    What Parents Should Know

    When an app is free there are some things you need to consider. There’s a reason it is free, not because they want to give you free access but because developers make their money in other ways. Obviously, advertising is one of the ways, the other way is your personal information. Things like your location, device type, web search habits, and internet history are very valuable resources to advertisers. App developers are able to gather this information and sell it for marketing purposes. The common phrase is data is the new currency.

    There are certain laws concerning the collection and use data of people under the age of 13. This study shows that many android app developers are ignoring the rules. This proves that the method of self-regulation may not be viable when it comes to protecting our information and privacy.

    My recommendation is that parents pay very close attention to the privacy practices of the apps they use for their kids. Read the terms and agreements. Read their privacy policies. Most importantly, understand that a free app is free because they are selling something else. Namely, your and your family’s personal information.

  • New Operating Systems Coming for iPhone and Android

    New Operating Systems Coming for iPhone and Android

    The last few weeks have been loaded with updates from the two major tech brands in the industry. Google’s I/O event was May 17-19th and they had some major announcements including virtual reality, augmented reality, and a brand new operating system for Android, Android O. Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) was this week, June 5-9th, and they’ve made similar announcements including a new version of their smartphone operating system that they’ve branded iOS 11. These two new systems will run the majority of the newer phones and tablets being released so it’s important to understand what each is offering. Here’s a rundown:

    Android O

    Android’s newest system should be made public this Fall. The most significant features are design changes in the Settings Menu and User Interface (UI.) Many of the smaller changes are things users won’t notice such as changes in how the OS will handle security and background operations, as well as channels or categories for notifications. Also, picture-in-picture support, notification badges that will appear on app icons, and better bluetooth support will definitely be features that makes Android O a step up for it’s users.

    iOS 11

    A new dock, multitasking with drag and drop, a files app, and better Apple Pencil support make iOS 11 a major upgrade for iPad. iPhone users will notice more apps in messenger, an app store that looks and works completely differently, and a new and improved Siri, including a new voice. The control center, the lock-screen, notifications screen, maps, Apple Music, and AirPlay are all getting improvements as well. iOS 11 is also slated to release this fall.

    What Parents Should Know

    There haven’t been any announcements on Parental Control improvements for either of these operating systems. When the test version of iOS 11 is released I’ll be giving it a full look-over and writing a review for you. One thing that parents will enjoy from iOS 11 is the ability to turn on an automatic Do Not Disturb while driving. The phone will sense your movement and speed and automatically silence any notifications until you’ve stopped. This will be a good way to keep your older kids safe while they are on the road. As for Android, they recently put out a new Parental Control option for their OS and it’s proving to be a pretty good setup. It’s only available on newer devices, however, and we still don’t know what changes have been made for when Android O is released.

    I always recommend keeping on top of updates when they are made available. Both of these new Operating Systems should be available this fall and you should be sure, if your devices are compatible, that you’re upgrading soon after release.  This isn’t just important to get any of the new features but also because security and privacy updates come with these new systems. The apps you use, including the ones you use for internet safety and monitoring will update to keep up with the latest software and if your devices are behind you’ll start to see holes in your security. Keep your eye on the update section of your settings menu and when it shows that a new version is available you should install immediately. You can also keep checking in to this site as I will keep you informed on the latest releases as well as how they can affect your family.