Related to my last post, in which I talked about 10 steps to make sure that you have more security and privacy against hackers and organizations when you’re exploring the internet with a computer. I thought that would be more appropriate write today about some things that we should have in mind if we want to get real privacy.
Try to keep all your home appliances that can use internet off when you’re not using it
You should think, would it stop sending data if I turn the WiFi off? Let me answer your question, NO, because the devices can storage the data and finally send it when them can connect to internet. Back again to the article main theme, through these products and the data them are sending, the companies and its “thirds” know what we saw, what we heard, what we want and we don’t, and even with one or about it we’d talked.
I don’t know if you read or heard about this news before, I will tell you shortly, but in the credits, I will leave you the links to the official news.
During the 2013 LG admits that has been using a feature called “saw data recollection” (it comes automatically installed with them Smarts TVs), This feature sent information about what channels/videos you see, web pages you visited, apps recently opened, to finally show you personalized contents and ads.
Also, in 2015, Samsung literally had the power to collect the voice and texts commands that was sent to the TV to supposedly can improve the speech recognition system, but the real polemic was in this clausula:
> In addition, Samsung may collect, and your device may capture voice commands and associated texts so that we can provide you with Voice Recognition features and evaluate and improve the features. if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be captured and transmitted to a third party.
The common point is the business with the ads, although Samsung gets me a little bit scared, because the in an explicit way are saying “that information may be transfer to third companies”, what means, any company or organization can get your data and you don’t know what they are doing with this info.
I know these examples are only pointing to the smarts TVs, but may there very similar situations with others home automation devices.
Try not to use credits cards
This point seems be like one, of my last article, in that article I wrote that it’s convenient use cryptocurrencies due to its anonymity, but there I add also is secure to use cash to avoid this tracking. Not is the biggest secret (sarcasm mode on) that all your payments are registered with perfect hour, date and place, an even sometimes you spend a lot of money in one product you must talk with the call center of your bank to verify your identity and so avoid a possibly theft. I know this is for security but what about the governments and banks that are trying at every cost to delete all cash transactions to became them electronic for everyone? To me, security and surveillance are not synonymous.
Don't let your phone let others know your location
Turn your phone location service off, with this you make some apps cannot take advantages about know where you are. Turn the Google Maps timeline service off, if you didn’t it before surely Google has all your whole agenda, perfectly timed and tracked. (EXTREMIST ALERT) Remove your battery when you aren’t using your phone. Your phone is constantly sending data about your precise location to your carrier communication towers every time, the know where you are the whole time.
And finally, to these people that reached this point, thanks for you support! I really want you to tell me what are your thoughts about “Surveillance and security are not synonymous” phrase.
Credits:
• Samsung: https://thehackernews.com/2015/02/smart-tv-spying.html
• LG: https://www.minutouno.com/notas/306288-lg-admite-que-espia-sus-usuarios-traves-sus-smart-tv
• E-transactions: https://www.eldiario.es/theguardian/temer-mundo-dinero-efectivo_0_498000213.html}
• https://www.freepik.es/ - katemangostar, vectorpuch, freepik (pictures)