Hyderabad: Most of our smartphones have around 10 to 30 apps, each using data from the mobile. Although each app seeks permissions to use data, hardly anyone goes through the permissions page while installing these apps. People generally access, adding to the risk of invaded privacy and electronic voyeurism.
As per cyber security experts, the common features are “last seen”, “check in” and permissions sought by apps for using contact number list, GPS location and profile photos. Experts say that criminals track down every detail let out on social networking sites apart from trying to break the firewalls of mobile handsets and computers of their targets.
Mobile viruses can be a major threat, particularly for smartphones. Mobile devices, in general, are susceptible to viruses in several ways. The cyber crime police says that in some mobile operating systems, malformed SMSes can crash the device.
Both, the IPC and the IT Act, recognise a privacy issue only when data, photographs or any other details of a victims are misused by the criminal. As per the IT Act, the word “privacy” is either photographing of private parts, use of private data without the knowledge of the owner or if someone is photographed in a private area.
Following someone online, posting offensive content on social networking sites or apps are considered as cyber stalking (now dealt under Section 354 D of IPC). Also, merely photographing a person is not an offense unless it is published or shared as per the law. Phishing and identity theft are serious crimes and are dealt with expansively under the IT Act, but the Act still does not deal with voyeurism.
Not just misuse of data or private information but also the possibility of a person possessing such information is a disturbing fact for most victims and many live in fear before reporting it. “Victims complain when there is imminent danger. There are many cases where information from social networking sites and networking and dating apps have been misused, but so far, we have not got any complaint where information from other mobile apps was misused,” said a senior official from the cyber crime cell.
