Some smartphone apps may be selling your data—here’s how to protect yourself

Australian seniors lost $99.6 million to scammers in 2024, making it clear that protecting your personal information has never been more important. While much of this loss came from sophisticated phone and online scams, a significant portion stemmed from something far more subtle—the apps on your smartphone quietly harvesting and sharing your personal details with companies you've never heard of.

If you own a smartphone and spend time online, there's a fair chance that some of your personal information has been collected, shared, and sold. Many apps you use daily are surprisingly invasive, but you don't have to make it easy for companies and data brokers to obtain your information.

The big players aren't the only culprits

It probably comes as no surprise that social media apps like Facebook and Instagram collect significant amounts of data.

Research suggests that just about every adult in Australia owns a smartphone, including three out of every four retirees, making this issue particularly relevant for older Australians.

However, any category of app has the potential to be invasive. Weather apps are notoriously poor when it comes to privacy, and ad-supported games like Candy Crush also collect substantial data that may track you across other apps. Even Uber Eats tracks far more information than you might expect.

Many apps need some personal data to function properly, but probably not as much as they're taking by default.

Australia's new privacy laws pack more punch

The privacy landscape changed dramatically in December 2024. The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 received royal assent on 10 December 2024, bringing significant changes to Australia's privacy laws.

Businesses should review and update their privacy policy—fines now apply if one is not in place or if it is inadequate. More importantly for you as a consumer, the most consequential reform is the introduction of a statutory tort for serious privacy invasions.

This creates a new path for individuals to take legal action against organisations for serious privacy breaches.

This new right takes effect by June 2025, giving you stronger legal recourse if companies misuse your personal information.

Know what data your apps collect

Before downloading an app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, review what data the app collects. The App Store now includes detailed privacy information that helps you understand each app's data collection practices.

Take Meta's Messenger as an example. It clearly states that it collects an enormous amount of data for third-party advertising, marketing, analytics, and 'other purposes.'

Meanwhile, Signal, a much better choice for privacy and security, collects only your phone number for app functionality and doesn't share any data with third parties.

This also applies to single-purpose apps like flashlights, unit converters, or guitar tuners. When you have multiple options to choose from, look for those that explicitly say they don't sell data to third parties. Paying a few dollars for an app that isn't ad-supported will often provide additional privacy protection.

Practical steps to protect your privacy

Location sharing is an excellent place to start tightening your privacy controls. You can turn off precise location sharing on both iOS and Android, or disable location services entirely for specific apps. Even your weather app doesn't actually need access to your location—you can simply type in your postcode.

Mobile apps have the potential to collect significant amounts of personal information about users, often without them being aware of the collection.

Apps may access your camera, microphone, contacts, photos, and even your browsing habits across other apps.

Privacy expert Thorin Klosowski from the Electronic Frontier Foundation advises auditing the apps on your device regularly. Remove anything you're not currently using—apps downloaded for one-time use or built into your operating system that you never touch. These may be collecting data in the background for no good reason.

The Australian angle: Centrelink and Medicare apps

Government services apps deserve special attention. Services Australia, which manages Centrelink, Medicare, and Child Support payments, has witnessed a sharp rise in scams that impersonate government agencies. These aren't amateur attempts—they're sophisticated operations designed to fool even careful users.

The official myGov app is generally secure, but be extremely wary of any app claiming to help with Centrelink or Medicare that isn't directly from Services Australia. Scammers often create fake apps that look official but are designed to steal your login details.

When scammers get personal with voice cloning

The traditional text-based 'Hi Mum' scam has evolved into something far more sinister. Now, scammers are experimenting with voice cloning components, using short audio clips to impersonate an individual's voice. They can now call you using what sounds exactly like your child's voice.

This new threat makes it even more crucial to limit what information apps can access. Many apps request microphone permissions they don't need, potentially providing scammers with audio samples of your voice or your family's voices.

Australian alternatives and resources

For search, consider swapping Google Chrome for DuckDuckGo, which doesn't track your searches. If you need to use services like Uber Eats, consider using them through your web browser instead of installing the app, which limits data collection.

OnMail is an easy-to-use email service built on the core tenets: 'privacy, control, speed, simplicity and intelligence', keeping you safe from potential scams.

What to do if you've been compromised

If you suspect an app has misused your information or you've fallen victim to a scam:

Call your bank, online payment platform or financial institution immediately and inform them that you suspect your account has been compromised. If you've shared myGov details with scammers, call the Services Australia Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk on 1800 941 126.

You can also lodge a privacy complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992. As Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind recently stated, 2025 is going to be a big year for privacy and that is also likely to be accompanied by a big year of enforcement action.

The bottom line for Australian seniors

Often older Australians have more money and accumulated wealth than younger people, making them an attractive target for a scammer. Older Australians may also be seen by scammers as generally less internet and computer savvy.

However, with the right knowledge and tools, you can take control of your digital privacy. The new Australian privacy laws provide stronger protections, but your first line of defence is understanding what information you're sharing and with whom.