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How Downloading Certain Emojis Compromises Your Data Privacy

Gen Z is hardly likely to recall the days of snail mail, as their fingers are more adapted to the QWERTY keyboard than the pen. Letters are no longer associated with personal communication, but more with bills, notices, and other formal forms. Expression of intent no longer relies on the use of adverbs and verbose sentences to truly say what you mean.

Emojis help us set the correct tone of what we’re trying to say and express our emotions. As cute and friendly as emojis are, they can be used as a ploy to track our movements and behavior for the use of targeted marketing and spam advertising.

In 2019, Upstream was able to block a staggering 14 million suspicious transactions all from Android devices that had downloaded an emoji keyboard developed by ai. type. In what follows, we discuss the telling signs that your emojis have infected your device and the most effective ways to stay safe from cyber threats.

Signs that your device has been compromised

With the internet in our pocket, we can Google anything at any time, go to any website, and download apps. However, some of these websites and apps are not safe and can hide malware on mobile devices, which can be used to steal data.

As the malware hides on your device, there isn’t an icon to signal its presence. However, some telling signs include a decreased battery life, sluggish performance, high data usage, and pop-ups. If you experience any of the aforementioned, chances are your phone has been compromised.

Preventive and safety measures

Our mobile devices store almost everything about us. Identity Numbers, banking apps, crypto exchange apps, PayPal, and other apps give us easy access to transactions and allow us to interact in the digital world. Apple has added features that provide users with the freedom to deny apps from tracking their activities.

Privacy Nutrition Label reports on the type of user data being collected, whereas security apps like McAfee for Android devices can protect the device from malware. However, they don’t do the same for your privacy. Instead, a two-pronged approach is necessary.

Nowadays, personally identifiable information (name, address, email, phone, bank details, social security number, fingertip, etc.), health data, and consumer habits are like gold for data brokers. The latter are entities that analyze and trade your data for a profit, leaving you vulnerable to spam, shadow profiles, and cyber-attacks.

Data brokers typically offer the option of opting out of their databases, which is a process that can take thousands of hours of your time. Alternatively, data removal tools can contact data brokers and automatically take care of the opting out process on your behalf.

Mobile device risks

When we install these fancy emoji packs, we have to accept their terms and conditions. Most people do not read them, users unknowingly give access to their data to be tracked. To enable the emoji keyboard, you have to add it to your settings and permit them to access your device settings.

Mobile malware is designed to steal your data from devices. This could be used to subscribe users for paid services that they did not sign up for or unwanted pop-up adverts. Phishing messages, spyware, worms, and bots are the most common types of malware mobile devices are faced with.

Avoid clicking links in text messages from unknown numbers or verifying any of your private data, and don’t download any apps from unknown developers. No matter how cute or convenient an emoji app may be, always make sure it comes from a reputable developer. We have to find ways and practice internet safety when browsing the internet or downloading applications.