A number of apps dish out ads from shady advertisement networks, many of which comes equipped with malware. Not only that, many apps are able to tweak the settings of a given handset without explicitly gaining the users’ permission. A security technology company has now proposed to curb this by devising a security standard for apps.
Lookout already has a mobile security app which identifies any such mobile ad networks which may pose malware risks. Once the app identifies such networks, it prompts the user to delete the linked app or software so that his handset could be protected.
The company has gone a step beyond merely providing handset security. It has now proposed a set of practices which must be observed by mobile apps so that the users are put at minimal risk. In a way, this is an attempt to initiate a dialogue over an open standard for the security of mobile apps and their advertisement networks.
In more than one ways, this is an excellent initiative. As part of the proposed practices, Lookout has demanded that all businesses who provide apps must explicitly state their adware practices.
Elaborating on this idea, the security product manager at Lookout, Jeremy Linden, said, “Key to this definition is the idea of appropriate consent and how a user can be notified that these sort of behaviors are taking place.” Being more specific, he stated that rather than hiding the shady, perplexing clauses under longish terms and conditions, companies may put the more relevant privacy terms at the top of the list so that users can be sure about what they are signing up for.
Courtesy: Telegraph
[ttjad keyword=”iphone”]
