(ARA) – The app world is booming and today there are more than 1
million mobile apps available for download through online stores
run by companies like Apple and Google. Many apps are available
free of charge and collect user data for advertising purposes,
raising the question: What is the true cost of these “free”
apps? Smartphones today collect and store a wealth of personal
information because they’re always “on,” and typically go
wherever their users go. Consumers store extensive contact
information, calendar data, and personal videos and photos on
these devices. Modern smartphones may also contain GPS
technology capable of collecting precise data about the phone’s
movement and location in near real-time. “Personal data
collection online has been happening for years on traditional
PCs,” says Babel. “The difference today is that these
‘computers’ now sit in our pockets in the form of smartphones,
and are capable of collecting more types of data, in greater
quantities, than ever before. It’s a far more comp