# Article about smartphones collecting data to spy on users

**URL:** <https://forum.code.org/t/article-about-smartphones-collecting-data-to-spy-on-users/14135>\
**Category:** Unit and Lesson Discussion\
**Tags:** csp-unit-4, csp-unit-4-lesson-6\
**Created:** [February 4, 2018, 7:43am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/article-about-smartphones-collecting-data-to-spy-on-users/14135 "2018-02-04T07:43:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![frank\_w\_lee](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/frank_w_lee/32/4895_2.png) [@frank\_w\_lee](https://forum.code.org/u/frank_w_lee)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2018, 7:43am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/article-about-smartphones-collecting-data-to-spy-on-users/14135/1 "2018-02-04T07:43:37Z")

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At an excellent site for science/tech articles, Science News for Students…

> **[Smartphones put your privacy at risk](https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/smartphones-put-your-privacy-risk)**
>
> Smartphones have become essential companions. But they can leak data about you. In fact, the potential for invading your privacy is higher than you might think.

Something I learned from the article was apparently motion sensors are not permission-protected, and the motion data collected can be used to infer things like keypresses and which subway route you’re on.

The bottom of the article also has a list of vocab and a link to questions teachers can use.

The article is a bit long, but I think it’s at a good reading level for my students…

Oh, but here’s the same article but at a higher reading level on their sister site, Science News. heyooo…

> **[Your phone is like a spy in your pocket](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/smartphones-data-collection-security-privacy)**
>
> Smartphones’ powers of perception make them more user-friendly and efficient. But they also open new opportunities for privacy invasions.

Ooh, this sidebar from the grownup version of the article might be useful in helping students distinguish between device/sensor and the actual data it handles…

 ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/codeorgforum/original/2X/d/d424ff8d55dd79b6de23ec5cd32710e6d55d78cc.png)

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**Author:** ![anmrobnott](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/anmrobnott/32/505_2.png) [@anmrobnott](https://forum.code.org/u/anmrobnott)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 10:48am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/article-about-smartphones-collecting-data-to-spy-on-users/14135/2 "2018-02-05T10:48:35Z")

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@frank_w_lee

Great resource! Thanks for sharing.

Happy computing,  
Andrea

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**Author:** ![mmathews](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/mmathews/32/4419_2.png) [@mmathews](https://forum.code.org/u/mmathews)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/article-about-smartphones-collecting-data-to-spy-on-users/14135/3 "2018-02-05T22:44:04Z")

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Thank you Frank @frank_w_lee!  
Perfect article to address data security and help identify the difference between device and sensors.