It’s a common sight these days to see people at supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, book stores immersed in their smart phones –either making phone calls, downloading apps,reading reviews, taking pictures, videos etc. Smart phones are every man's dream machine. They make life really convenient with internet on the go. But convenience at what cost? At the cost of our privacy?
Over the years, tech analysts and consumer advocates have touted the use of smart phones and privacy issues. The information an average smart phone user leaves behind is like a goldmine to marketers and advertisers. And it's just not any information but personalized, exclusive information. One can learn a lot about a person just by the apps he/she uses/downloads or their web browsing habits. Once that data has been collected and stored we lose control of it forever.
With more and more consumers opting for smart phones, the mobile web industry is just exploding with data that companies would love to use. According to Forrester Research, about 54.4 million people surf the mobile Web. By 2013, that number is expected to more than double to 110.7 million, Forrester estimates. Total number of wireless devices worldwide: about 3 billion. And companies slashing prices on cool new phone only helps increase that number. You can get hold of a cool touch screen phone like the Apple iPhone or the Google phone for $200 with a two year contract. With it you have all the other companies including news organizations developing consumer friendly apps that provide for a unique user experience. So who wouldn't want to own a smart phone!
The influx of smart phones has naturally given rise to a lot of mobile marketing companies. All though mobile advertising is still at the early stages it is soon going be the next best thing in the advertising world. With all that exclusive data that's out there, companies would grab the opportunity to market to us. Having said all that, I wouldn't trade my iphone for anything. I can't imagine life without it -it's convenient and a life saver at times! But the trail of information I leave behind and have no control of is definitely a scary thought.
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