Tech companies are scrambling to adjust their data privacy practices in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and subsequent criminalizing of abortion in several states, as the larger public realizes that the data those services collect could be used to prosecute abortion seekers. Google, for example, recently announced that it will automatically delete location data if people visit medical facilities, including abortion clinics (it still, of course, collects that data). And the period tracker app Flo is introducing an “anonymous mode” that is supposed to let users delete any identifiable information from their
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While we can’t predict what 2022 will have in store, you can get your year off to a slightly better start by performing a digital detox on your smartphone by deleting apps that are no longer working for you.
Everybody’s wants and needs are different, so it’s possible that you’ll decide to keep some of the apps I mention below. Even so, it’s a useful year-end exercise to step through all the apps on your phone and ponder whether each one deserves a spot there. Here are some types of apps you might conclude have more downside than benefits:
Messaging
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A stark new warning for almost all iPhone users, as Facebook is suddenly caught “secretly” harvesting sensitive data without anyone realizing. And worse, there’s no way to stop this especially invasive tracking other than by deleting the app.
New Facebook warning for millions of iPhone users as secret user tracking suddenly exposed.
AFP via Getty Images
A week ago, I warned iPhone users that Facebook still captures location data using the metadata from your photos and your IP address, even if you update your settings “never” to track your location. Facebook admits to this harvesting, refusing to be drawn on
Apple will require developers that offer a way to create accounts in their apps to also offer a way to delete them, starting with app submissions on January 31st, 2022, the company shared Wednesday. The account deletion requirement was originally announced alongside several other changes to Apple’s developer guidelines at WWDC 2021.
Account deletion is a minor convenience, but considering how often apps require accounts and how easy it is to delete an app without ending your relationship with the company connected to it, it’s welcome. Apple’s announcement suggests only that developers “allow users to initiate deletion of their
Open up your phone’s app store, and you’ll be bombarded with an endless array of exciting apps. From entertainment to exercise, there’s content for anything you can imagine. You can play games, watch videos, edit photos and write stories on apps during your downtime.
Even if you’re a worker with little free time, the app store has a lot to offer. There are many productivity apps that can scan documents, organize your busy schedule and streamline your work process. When there’s no much to choose from, though, it’s easy to download more apps than you actually need.
That’s why you
Watch out, smartphone users: Your favorite apps may have brought Trojan horses into your device. Even worse, these are financial Trojans designed to inject malware into your phone. They’re droppers, which means they’re specifically coded to install malware and avoid protective safeguards.
Trojans are hard to detect, and they can easily devour your entire system. That’s why researchers released a list of the “most wanted” malware on the web, which lets you know about the most dangerous viruses that could target your system. Tap or click here to unmask the deadliest malware out there.
The most recent batch of malicious
