Privacy From 3rd Party Resale
Privacy From 3rd Party Resale
by Tracy E. Hill
Did you know that only 4% of apps geared to help people with cognitive decline actually protects their privacy from 3rd parties (American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25,8, 2017)? According to a study by Dr. John Torous, 46% of the 72 apps he studied for patients with dementia, had a privacy policy but only 4% of those companies and their associated apps promised not to sell your data to third parties. Why do companies sell your 3rd party information anyway? Well, often it’s how the company makes money. They sell their email lists, data collection on demographic information and other relevant information about you to third parties who then buy the aggregate information in order to make money off of you through targeted ads and the like.
Let’s give some perspective. People often ask why Silver Sage Magazine doesn’t ask for your email and send you countless emails encouraging you to read our magazine. Well, the easy answer is we want to respect your privacy and the long answer is, we’re here to provide a service, education and community; not to make riches off of your personal information. Plus, as the publisher, I hate those constant annoying emails from other sites. Therefore, I wouldn’t bombard my readers with annoying emails!
Recently, I was talking to the owner of Visiting Angels who came to meet with me and my mom regarding some security breaches. She described having a conversation in her office with an employee about ironing. Later that night she received an email from someone far, far away regarding the opportunity to open an ironing type franchise business ! I explained that her iPhone was listening in on her. She was appalled. Personally, I find it incredulous that every time a new iPhone model hits the market, my old one starts to have some annoying problems. But I digress…
Many apps don’t disclose their privacy policies or worse, don’t follow those they have in place! How many of you have actually read through the privacy policies when signing up for a new app? Exactly. Most of don’t. So how do you know which apps will protect your privacy from third party buyers and sellers? Unfortunately, there is no good answer. However, there are some apps that are better than others and some rules to know that may help with your privacy and mitigate the chances of your information being sold.
The more open-ended questions an app asks, the more risk of participant identification. So, you may want to stay away from those apps that ask you a lot of open-ended questions. Read the privacy policy. If the policy states that the company will not sell your information to third party vendors, that’s a good thing; although not guaranteed. The Veterans Administration has developed one of the easiest and best privacy policies to date. And, although they do not share your data with third parties, they do use your data for internal analytics within the VA. However, users can opt of the option for analytic sharing. Lastly, try to avoid free or ad dependent apps. Most likely these free apps are selling your data to cover costs and make money.
So, whether the app is related to health and wellbeing, tracking any of your personal, physical or financial information or even apps directly offered through your doctor’s office, recent purchases, etc. – it’s best to be wary. Unless of course, you have nothing to hide. But then again, I don’t think any of us want someone else to have access to our personal information regardless of how insignificant (or significant) it may be.
Artwork “Privacy” by Agevla77 (Finland)
