Imagine this.
It’s Saturday night. You’re in your room, lounging & scrolling through YouTube Shorts for too long. You find a reel where someone uses a “face scanner” app to see what they will look like at 60 years old, and you find the results funny. In the comments, someone writes:
“OMG, this app is crazy, search ‘FutureMe Camera’ on the Play Store!”
You get curious, you go to the Play Store, find the app, click Install, and start using the app. The app loads and asks for permissions - It wants to access contacts, photos, camera, microphone, and location. Not thinking, your impatient self clicks “Allow All”.
Minutes later, you’re uploading your selfie and laughing at your old-faced self with grey hair and saggy skin. But what you don’t see? That silly little app just got full access to your phone.
It knows exactly where you are, who you are talking to, what you look like, what you are searching for and even what your voice sounds like. And all of it is quietly sent off to servers or countries you’ve seen and for reasons you’ll never know.
Well done. You just didn’t download an app. You just gave away your privacy for free.
Welcome to the world of invisible theft and the worst part? You did it willingly.
Cyber law experts would tell you the “free” in “free apps” does not mean free of cost, it means you are the cost. If that made your stomach drop a little, good. You are not alone! Most have been clicking “Allow” for years without reading a single word. But now it is time to stop being passive consumers and become aware citizens of the digital world.
That's where a cyber security course can seriously impact your life. If you want to find a rewarding career that will practically ensure your future is safe and can stop being a victim of the digital world, consider Cyber security, Data Privacy, and Cyber Law. And if you're not sure where to start, some of the Top BCA Cyber Security and Ethical Hacking Colleges in Bangalore offer programs that can literally protect your digital identity and build you an awesome career.
What Does “Free” Really Mean?
Consider Instagram, Gmail, Whatsapp or that cool wallpaper app. No subscription, right? But if you've ever heard the quote, “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product,” then you exactly know what that means.