PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_july2018 | Page 23

TECHNOLOGY C o r n e r
Protect the Privacy of Your Data on iOS Devices
CHRISTOPHER B. HOPKINS
In a recent cell phone privacy case,
Carpenter v. U.S., the Supreme Court noted
that Americans “compulsively carry cell
phones with them all the time” yet, from a
privacy standpoint, “there is no way to avoid
leaving behind a trail of [personal] data.”
Fortunately, for people who own iPhone and
iPad devices (“iOS Devices”), you can limit
law enforcement, advertisers, and third
parties from accessing your personal data.
In less than 10 minutes, with this article in
one hand and your iOS Device in the other,
follow these steps to protect your privacy.
Before delving in, ensure that your iOS
Device is operating on iOS 11.x. You can
confirm by going to Settings, General,
and then tap Software Update. The most
important security protection is a passcode.
Go to Settings, Passcode (depending on your
device, it will be “Touch ID & Passcode” or
“Face ID & Passcode”). Make sure Passcode
is turned on and Require Passcode is set to
Immediately.
Advertisers: To limit advertisers from
tracking your information: (1) in Settings,
scroll down to Safari and consider turning
on all buttons under “Privacy & Security”
except “Camera and Microphone Access”;
(2) in Settings, go to Privacy and scroll down;
turn off all buttons in Analytics but turn
on Limit Ad Tracking under Advertising;
(3) in Settings/Privacy/Location Services,
scroll down to System Services and turn
off Location-Based Apple Ads, Suggestions,
and all three buttons under Product
Improvements.
I’m Handing You My Phone For You to
See One Thing We often share pictures or
videos by handing our phone to friends.
To avoid letting them leave the app and
start snooping, go to Settings/General/
Accessibility.
Scroll down to Guided
Access and turn it on. Under Accessibility
Shortcut, tap Guided Access. Now, when
you hand someone your phone to look at
photos, discreetly hit the side (or top) button
three times. It will ask for a passcode. Type
in a code and then hand over the device.
The person will be locked into that app until
you enter the code again. They won’t know
you’ve locked them out unless they start
snooping.
Who is Looking at My Deleted Photos?
When you delete a photo, it is not really
deleted. In fact, it is readily accessible. You
can avoid embarrassment by going to the
Photos app and scrolling to the Recently
If you have Face ID, you can simplify Deleted folder and“double delete” any image
the process under Settings/General/ so it is inaccessible without sophisticated
Accessibility/Guided
Access/Passcode software.
Settings and turn on Face ID. That way,
three clicks of the side button will lock the
app and two clicks will unlock, as long as it Who is Listening? Under Settings/Privacy,
sees your face.
select Microphone to see which apps
on your phone have access. Apps like
Quickly Turn Off Face ID to prevent law Translate, Shazam, and Skype should stay
enforcement or third parties from accessing on. You will be surprised at the games and
your Face ID protected iOS Device by forcing other apps which want access. If you do not
you to look at it, hold the side button and dictate into an app, turn off its access to the
volume down button for a second. The microphone.
power off / SOS page will appear. Once you
hit cancel, your iOS Device will disable Face Who is Watching Me? Under Settings/
ID and require a passcode to access.
Privacy/Camera, turn off access to the
camera to all apps except those which
Snoopers Can Learn A Lot Just By require the camera to function.
Looking At Your Lockscreen Apps
constantly communicate with you through Protect Your Texts Your texts and instant
Notifications on your lock screen. However, messages are surprisingly revealing. First,
third parties can access a lot of your there is no reason to broadcast when or
information even if your phone is locked. whether you have read a text. Go to Settings/
Head over to General/Settings and then Messages and turn off Send Read Receipts.
Notifications. Tap each app and turn off Two, if you have more than one iOS Device,
Allow Notifications. For apps which you your IM may be going to more than just your
want to provide Notifications, consider (a) iPhone (which means someone using your
turning off Sounds and Show on Lock Screen iPad can see your texts). Under Settings/
and (b) settings banners as temporary.
Messages, set Send & Receive so there is
only a check next to your iPhone. Third, in
Who is Following Me? Most apps do not that same section, considering turning Keep
need to know your location and, when they Messages to something less than Forever.
do, the best setting is “only while using
this app.” First, under Settings/Privacy, Web Browser: To clear your website history
tap Location Services. Weather, maps, and (and to regain some space on your device),
travel apps, naturally, should have access go the Settings/Safari and hit “Clear History
to your location; most others you can turn and Website Data.” For Chrome, go into the
off. Second, your device keeps track of app, hit the three circles in the upper right
where you frequently travel; un