Allowing an app to access our photographs on our mobile devices is a dangerous permission. For all we know, we might be unwittingly giving away facial recognition data which is actually stronger than a password that is vital and essential to mobile banking in order for us to do online transactions. We might become victims of identity theft and suffer financial loss because some apps may apparently mine and harvest our data particularly biometrics for purposes we are not aware of. In a similar way, we should not rely on the fact that, just because others do it, it is already safe. Hence, it is best to consult information privacy professionals or IT experts on the matter.
Do we value privacy on our mobile devices?
By: Atty. Jeremy O. Panganiban
Most of the time, we unknowingly grant permission for many applications (apps, for brevity) to access our data and to perform functions that are unnecessary for the purpose of the app’s functionality (vide: 99 Privacy Breaches to be Aware of by Kevin Shepherdson, Atty. Lyn Boxall, et al., at page 281).
Many apps require us to give permission for our personal data to be revealed to third parties. A few apps may even sell our data with our permission already given! (ibid.)
My suggestion is that we must carefully read the terms of use, meticulously acquaint ourselves with the permissions, and scrutinize the app’s privacy notice before we give our consent. Please take note that, under the law, a blanket consent is void. Neither is failure to opt out from a pre-ticked box deemed valid when it comes to data privacy.