Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 97 Cyber Security Consumer Tip Sheet prosecution, and is not just a problem for teenagers: in fact, a 2012 study found that adults are twice as likely as teens to do it. Overspending The convenience of buying things on a phone or tablet–whether it’s apps for the device or merchandise in an online shop can lead us to make purchases without thinking about them. As well, many game apps– especially those for children–encourage users to spend real money to advance in the game, and if a parent isn’t careful, kids may be able to use their credit card information. Finally, just using the phone can cost an unexpected amount as the price of making calls, sending texts and surfing the Web through mobile devices adds up. Distraction Many places have passed laws against using mobile devices while driving, but they can also cause accidents for cyclists and pedestrians. As well, having a mobile device handy while you’re doing other things increases the temptation to multitask–which makes you less efficient at all the things you’re doing. Mobile devices can also lead to sleep problems, especially for teenagers who feel a pressure to respond to texts right away and worry about missing what’s going on among their friends. Inappropriate content Many of the issues faced by parents in moderating their children’s online experience on the Internet are found with mobile devices as well. Many of the apps available are aimed at young children and teens, but because new apps are often rushed to the marketplace–and because app developers rate their own products –it can be hard to know what you’re going to find. Privacy Invasions Even if you don’t use your phone to store personal information, it’s gathering data all the time about who and where you are. Many legitimate apps will communicate to your phone’s device ID and your location to the app’s developers or to third parties. Most often, this data gathering is spelled out in terms of service you agree to when you download it, but some invasions of privacy are done secretly and maliciously– including spyware that allows someone to turn on your device’s camera or microphone remotely, even when it’s turned off. How You Can Protect Yourself Educate yourself. Make sure you understand what features are on a mobile phone before buying it for yourself or for a child. Find out what privacy and security options a device has and activate them; even better, find out before you buy a device which has the best security tools. Before downloading an app, read the Terms of Service to find out what data it’s gathering about you. Be polite. Treat people you talk to or text with the same way you would treat people offline. Remember that a lot of the cues we use to understand what someone means–their facial expression, their body language, their tone of voice–aren’t present when you’re texting, so phrase what you say carefully and don’t jump to conclusions about what someone else means. continued on page 99... ...continued from page 95
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