When you’re having fun on an app like Snapchat, shopping on your favorite retail app — or maybe just checking to see if it’s going to rain on a weather app — the last thing you may be thinking about is your privacy. But some of your favorite apps could be the ones most responsible for storing your location and private data and using this information to profit from third-party advertisers.
You don’t have to let that happen. If you’re concerned about where your data is ending up, focus on changing the settings on or deleting these six apps, which could be tracking your location and storing your personal information.
Social Media Apps
Numbers one, two, and three on this list are — yes, you guessed it — social media apps like Facebook and Instagram. These apps use location tagging features and collect data that includes your contacts. You can minimize the damage that they can do by never sharing your location — even if you want to post from a concert venue or museum.
Shopping Apps
Retail and shopping apps are convenient because they store your financial info and are so easy to access — shopping is a breeze on them. But the very fact that they can store your information means that they also pose a privacy threat. These apps use your location to let you know stores nearest to you, as well. Stay private by changing your settings so that these apps aren’t able to store your location or your address or payment information.
Health and Fitness Apps
Apps like Strava and MyFitnessPal are fantastic for helping us stay committed to our health and fitness goals. But they also store private information, including info about our health and location. Check the privacy settings on these apps and turn off any that are invading your privacy.
Weather Apps
Weather apps require your location to work for you. But they also often store your location and use it to profit from third-party advertisers who can then deliver targeted ads to you. Check your settings to see what kind of data the weather app you love is storing.
Navigation Apps
Navigation Apps require GPS to get you from one place to the next. Set your permissions so that these apps can only access your location when you’re using them. There is no reason for these apps to know your whereabouts when they aren’t at your service.
Food Delivery Apps
Food delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats can store your location, credit card information, and even your contacts. You may use these apps regularly, so we understand that it can be inconvenient to not allow them to collect and store this data for the future. But you’re also opening up the possibility that the apps can share this data with other parties. The most secure move is to not allow the apps to save any info you input when ordering a pizza online.
