With how common data breaches and hacks have become in the present day, it’s a good idea to try and be as prepared and cautious as possible so you won’t become a future victim. There are some popular known steps and lesser-known ways to protect your privacy in the event it may get hacked, or it already has been. Here are some useful details to be aware of:
· Many apps ask for your permission to keep track of data like location, contact information, and gender. However, while you’ll frequently encounter apps wishing for permission you don’t always have to accept it to use the app. Some apps work perfectly fine refusing to accept and if you can’t use the app because you wouldn’t agree with their policy then maybe look for another app.
· Avoid sharing personal information with fitness apps when it isn’t necessary. Certain information like weight, gender and age may typically be asked for, but other data like race and sexual orientation have no reason to be shared with an app.
· Try to avoid clicking any unknown links and ads that appear throughout the apps. Many free apps are riddled with false advertisements and links sent directly to your email. These can often secretly be malicious pages that intend to steal your information and even harm your device.
· Review the passwords you may use on not just fitness apps but everything on your device in general. You can be an easy victim if you typically reuse the same password for every site and app you own. Make sure to routinely change any previous passwords to ensure they are fully secure.
Knutsson, K. (2024, October 3). The trade-off between using fitness apps and data privacy concerns. Cyberguy. https://cyberguy.com/privacy/trade-off-between-using-fitness-apps-and-data-privacy-concerns/
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