Google Now, Siri, Cortana and similar applications utilising the "respond to voice commands" option in your smartphone may be listening to your every word and reporting certain key phrases to application developers or their information customers.

Laws do not exist to prevent the ability of these applications we use for our own convenience to be able to record and forward all of your conversations regarding certain topics to creators, says Mark Pesce, Futurist at Sydney University's Digital Culture Program.

Few people read through the conditions of use or privacy policies when installing applications, we tend to trust that the application will not misuse our data, that App creators govern themselves lawfully, or that Apple, Android, Microsoft or some magical government body reads through every application's installation conditions and removes applications distributed where they do not apply to State or Territory legal obligations and fairness. Pesce indicates that slipping in extra paragraphs illustrating uses we wouldn't want the application to perform in the background may be occurring in the future, if not right now. Protection from bodies other than oneself is an unfortunate pipedream. The Internet is far too large, far too borderless to be governened by any body. About the only appliacation Apple refuse to supply to users are torrent or other download applications, and this is only to save their own skins in case the need were to arise. For an example of the troubling aspect of this technology, Google Now is active via the microphone in your phone a unadulterated 100% of the time. That's right! Every moment of the time you have your phone on. Google Now needs to be listening all the time in order to hear your command "OK Google" in order that it can perform the function you request.

Pesce states there should be a broader education project in order that people understand that any sensor utilised by their own or others' technology can and may already be collecting information that can be used and shared - your information can be sold for $ and you're signing your agreement of this, without actually realising it.

One suggestion I have as an Apple user and thus utilising Siri is not having the Mobile/3G/4G and WIFI functions of your phone switched on when unececcary. This not only reduces battery use thus increasing your battery life, but also switches off Siri's ability to function when you are unaware. This would also cancel out Google Now and Cortana from working when you are unaware. Better still, turn any voice activated software off. Last week I sat in a magistrates court listening to the stories of criminals and civil cases, as I awaited my bond dispute to take place. Security had checked me for weapons on the way in - even my walking stick was examined. Yet, as I sat in the room awaiting my case listening to things that I would normally not be privy to regarding the intimate lives of people, I was allowed to keep my smartphone with me, as long as it was on silent. I had my phone on Airplane mode out of habit but how many others in that room were recording proceedings for their own use or even without their knowledge? Mobile internet was allowed, SMS was allowed. One could argue perhaps that in such circumstances information as a weapon could prove as harmful as one of physical violence. Who indeed watches the watchmen? Originally reported on ABCnetau

Labels: advice, Cortana, Google Now, Siri, smartphone, technology

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posted by Da at 11:44:00 AM