Recently the news of the fact was circulated and came to the attention of iPhone users that via few iPhone apps especially app vendors were able to access data and information on the user. As much as Apple may ensure its customers that they are looking out for their privacy the jeopardy is yet there. The uploaded information can be collected by the iPhone apps even while the user is asleep.
May it be any computing device the user is exposing themselves by paying for the apps by contributing to marketing and other information being delivered to the companies that supply’s them. Though below you will find the 3 most recommended simple ways that can be used to minimize the amount of tracking that app vendors avail from and can lessen the amount of data that are accessed of the user.
1st Suggestion: Turn Off the Background App Refresh
Confirmed by Apple, who is known to create an app that is topnotch and secure informed what is the purpose to have the Background App Refresh turned on which is to permit suspended apps to check for required updates and new content. When addressed on having the feature being disconnected it was found that it will allow to limit and restrict the transfer of collected marketable tracking data and a few other information.
It is also possible for these apps to access the data and info even during the time when the user is not using the app or is asleep. An interesting fact in all of this is that, iPhones are shipped across the globe with the Background app turned on but the best part is that it is quite easy and not very complicated to turn the feature off.
How to Turn Off the Background App Refresh:
- Go into “Settings”
- Select “General”
- Select “Background App Refresh”
- (You will be presented in the option a list of apps that imply this feature and all of them would be turned on. Tap on the Background App Refresh to turn it on the opinion would be above on the page)
- Finally, when you return to the previous page all the toggles for various apps would completely vanish.
The user may opt to be selective in regards to which apps can work in the background. As few apps would not operate effectively without the feature. As an example, Google Photos will not automatically backup your camera clicks till the feature isn’t enabled. Leaving it entirely optional to the users is they wish to leave the “Background App Refresh” on entirely or then to choose certain apps that you would prefer to toggle off.
2nd Suggestion: Lockdown Safari
As many iPhone users use the Safari browser often. There is a large number of iPhone users out of which a majority of them use Safari and professional mobile app developers who have invested to create an app such as Safari have added to the app various settings that a user can custom to make their experience much more private and secure.
How to Lock down Safari:
- Go into “Settings”
- Select “Safari”
- Scroll down and tap on the “Privacy & Security”
- Then turn on the “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking”
(This option will allow advertisers and third-party content providers to be unable to track the user from one website to the other)
- Turn on “Block all Cookies”
(Cookies on many sites can access a huge amount of information in regards to what the user prefers and searches as an example by blocking cookies the user will be able to prevent their data from getting collected from these apps)
Even though the user will yet endure inconvenience since by using these actions the sites that the user visits would no longer reside or be recorded. For instance, if a user would want to revisit a playlist or purchased item previously the info/ data on these apps will no longer be on the iPhone. Though at times even certain sites refuse entry till they are not allowed to collect cookies making it completely the user’s choice as they won’t be allowed to access the website will be permitted to access cookies.
3rd Suggestion: Turn On the “LAT- Limited Ad Tracking”
Applying this will not entirely relieve the user to get rid of ads though it will help in a way to supply the advertiser to experience the least amount of info to be accessed as possible. LAT places a kibosh in the practice which is known as Interest-Based Ads. LAT access data based on the user’s data/ searches/ usage stats to provide ads to the targeted audience.
How to Turn On LAT:
- Go in Setting
- Select “Privacy”
- Scroll to the bottom of the setting screen and tap on “Advertisement”
- Finally, turn-on the “Limited Ad Tracking”
Most certainly the feature LAT is not very reliable as it does not function to perfection. Marketers also use a system that is known as “Fingerprinting” that allows tracing info of the device type, model, and even other specific data such that it is public on the user’s browser. Apple has continuously been working to lock down some of this information though yet is still accessible by these apps. If the users are keen to try or test how efficient and effective the feature LAT is they can try it through the “Panopticlick Test” which is provided by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
