Companies are using free smartphone apps as ‘fronts’ to allow them to spy on users’ text messages, intercept calls and even track their location, it was claimed yesterday.

By accepting little-read terms and conditions when downloading apps, consumers give developers the right to harvest vast swathes of private information.

Facebook insists that people using its Android smartphone app agree to give them permission to read their text messages, although the internet giant said it had not yet taken advantage of this right.

They can even remotely take images from users’ handset cameras and even dial their phone and intercept calls without them knowing.

Read more: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1nbAB2kat

Now many people no longer have any privacy? Apps that can even monitor your photos and in some cases see what you are viewing? Those private text messages you send being read by people unknown?

How many people keep their bank data and other similar information stored on these phones?

Makes me happy I do not have a smart phone.

Big Brother? This is scary really.

edit - font was unreadable.

I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories and the like but this one is concerning.

Facebook...what a crock on so many levels....

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

My landlady in Chiang Mai used to keep cropping up in the "people you may know" bit on Facebook. I often wondered how Facebook knew that I knew her, seeing as though we had no friends in common. Now that I've read that it makes sense. I had her phone number in my smartphone (with the facebook app).

This is truly disturbing.

Not directly Thailand related, but IMHO important enough to stay live.

Moving to the Technology forum.

Very creepy - it's worse than I thought. Reminds me of the old line: "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone ISN'T watching you"

Not directly Thailand related, but IMHO important enough to stay live.

Moving to the Technology forum.

Thanks for that Crossy. When my son first told me, I did not believe it until I went on-line and checked.

Definitely scary to think so many people can get paid for and free applications for a smart phone and have so much data available to 3rd parties.

With the bank details I keep on my phone I'd hate to think someone had a record of this.

Friends phone numbers too.

SMS I send that could be in some way compromising.

I know people who have compromising photos of ladies and themselves on their phones too. Imagine those being made public?

All in the name of profit. Make sure you do read the fine print for these apps.

To be fair, when I install an app on my Galaxy S2, it does tell me what that app has access to. As it says in the report, the Android operating system has always been open about things like that. And it's not as if it's in small print either. It's a short list of half or dozen or so bullet points telling you what the app could potentially do and what parts of the phone you're giving it access to. Like most people I just tend to shrug it off and click the OK button without a second thought, which is exactly what they want you to do I guess. So more fool me...