Beware of Using Smartphone Microphones: What to Do

Privacy guarantor wants to see clearly On the use of “spy” microphones in smart phone and tablets without the knowledge of the users. Italy’s Personal Data Protection Authority has opened an investigation into the illegal acquisition and transmission of information by some apps that have been identified as “stolen” by listening in the background from devices.

Privacy and microphones turned on in smartphones and tablets: the guarantor opens an investigation

A phenomenon that the authority now considers “increasingly pervasive”, due to downloading applications on our mobile phone and somewhat informed consent, among the permissions to access the service, as well as activating the microphone.

“Once you have accepted, without thinking too much and without inquiring about what use your data will be used, game overis the warning.

Initiative, I explained guarantee, born after a television service broadcast on the subject and above all fromSend reports from different consumers According to it, “it suffices to say a few words about their tastes, projects, trips or simple desires to watch an advertisement for a car, a tour agency or a cosmetic product arrive on a mobile phone.”

The satirical news program raised the issue stripping news Through a service that went live on September 27, the reporter tested the real-time correspondence between the verbal expression of their tastes and preferences and the advertisement received on their device.

In collaboration with Guardia di Finanza’s Special Privacy and Technological Fraud Unit, the authority has launched an investigation with the aim of examining a series of the most downloaded applications and verifying that the information provided to users is clear and transparent and that consent has been obtained correctly (a privacy alert has been issued regarding The WhatsApp).

Privacy guarantor, pay attention to the microphones turned on in smartphones and tablets: how to deactivate them

Waiting for the guarantor to announce it, to defend against ‘stolen’ apps The user can check their smartphone’s authorized microphone access and possibly remedy it by deactivating the permissionsThis is done through the following procedures:

• On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and uncheck the option that allows the app to use voice input.
• On Android through Path Settings > Privacy > Manage Permissions > Microphone