Most of us unaware or unconcerned that privacy could be breached with free apps

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – How sure are you that your smartphone is secure?

New findings from online security company Norton suggest many of us are willing to trade our privacy for a free app.

Over a third of Canadians asked in the survey will readily give up their location information for a free app, while 85 per cent don’t realize a free app could modify their browser.

Personal data like your health, fitness and financial information is also at risk, says James Nguyen with Norton.

“We’re very careful, historically, about letting people through our physical front door. But when it comes to mobile devices, for some reason, that correlation isn’t there. So then basically, we let any apps have access to this information. That information that’s in your household is becoming digitized.”

He adds most of us believe we’re limiting privacy access but aren’t reading the fine print when it comes to free apps.

“There’s rarely anything that comes for free. A lot of the time, what we see with free apps is that they have to monetize their business somehow, and a lot of that business is generated from personal information. Personal information becomes a currency for developers.”

About a quarter of us admit we don’t really know what we are agreeing to when downloading an app. And even if we do, many are willing to take the risk.

“Many consumers do worry about the device and data security, so all these elements on their smart devices, smartphones and tablets. But ironically, most are willing to allow access to the personal information that is available on these devices,” says Nguyen.

More than half of Canadians are unaware that apps could track their physical location and while two thirds do worry about smartphone privacy, those worried about getting a virus or malware are more willing to allow free apps to access sensitive device and personal information, like accessing out contacts or health and fitness information.

Nguyen says there’s not a lot you can do to protect yourself if you really want that app. “At the end of the day, it’s all or nothing. You don’t download the app or you download the app allowing it to have access.”

The study also finds 78 per cent of us aren’t aware that a free app could drain their battery.

Computer science professor Richard Rosenberg with UBC is shocked by the findings. He says the fact 94 per cent of people apparently don’t care that our health and fitness information could be stolen by a free app as an example.

“That one is one of the striking ones. What is more important than your health privacy? But people say ‘What will they do with it? How will that affect my life?'”

He says even when someone is aware their privacy could be breached, most of his students said they were okay with the trade-off, if it meant getting a free app. “Not worrying about your privacy is not the best strategy in this age because so much information, so much about you depends on privacy. If you don’t worry about it, no one else will.”

Rosenberg adds Americans are only slightly more diligent with their privacy when it comes to smart phones and apps.