Teens Growing More Aware of Mobile App Privacy Issues

[[Coi] Mr.CLuBBeR]

Adults aren't the only demographic concerned about privacy

Trying to imagine a teenager without a cell phone or tablet is like envisioning a PETA supporter wearing a Michael Vick jersey. We're sure they both exist, they're just extremely rare specimens that are easily the exception to the norm. Teens love their mobile gadgets, though despite their rabid infatuation with texting, Snapchatting, and other mobile activities, they're surprisingly cognizant of privacy issues.
According to a recent Pew study on Teens and Mobile Apps Privacy (PDF), 58 percent of American teens have downloaded an app to a cell phone or tablet, and more than half have avoided certain apps due to privacy concerns. In other words, teens aren't downloading apps to their mobile devices willy-nilly, the majority are checking the privacy settings before making a determination to snag it or skip it.
More than a quarter of all teens have uninstalled an app after becoming aware it was collecting personal information they didn't want to share. Furthermore, 46 percent of teens have turned off location tracking features on their cell phone or a specific app because they were worried about the privacy of their information (as opposed to being tracked by those pesky parents). Interestingly, girls are more likely to turn off location tracking features than boys (59 percent versus 37 percent).
Image Credit: Flickr (Joris_Louwes)
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