A quarter of all smartphone owners keep homemade adult pictures and videos on their handsets, a new study has revealed.
With 25 per cent of those who own a camera hosting handset admitting that they use the device to take and keep intimate images of themselves and their partners, latest figures have revealed that the majority of these homemade porn hosting devices are unprotected from content being accessed if lost or stolen.
The latest figures, compiled by internet and mobile security specialist AVG, found that of 5,107 smartphone owners from the UK, France, Germany and Brazil, one in four revealed they had images and videos of an intimate nature on their devices, only marginally less than the 35 per cent who use their smartphones for online shopping means.
A stark example of the true uses of advanced handsets, the study revealed that despite these precarious practices, smartphone users are concerned about using their portable pocket blower for online activities that require them to give out their personal details.
With just 36 per cent of smartphone users suggesting they would use their handset to check their bank balance, less than half the 78 per cent who would willingly use a PC to carry out the same task, only 50 per cent said they would not be worried about using their smartphone for online shopping tasks.
“This survey has clearly demonstrated that there is confusion in the minds of consumers about what is and isn’t safe or sensible to do with a mobile device,” JR Smith, CEO of AVG Technologies said. “It is already limiting the appeal of mobile shopping, banking and ticketing, and this is in turn hampering the industry’s efforts to drive new innovations and monetisation methods.
Discussing the shocking findings, Smith added: “At the same time, millions of consumers are exposing themselves to risk of personal and professional embarrassment by storing sensitive images on their devices.”
Claiming that consumers are not solely at fault for the last of trust in secure smartphone systems, Smith has suggested that education is key to improving the potential online uses of our beloved handsets.
“It is time for the industry to wake up and start educating consumers about privacy and security,” the AVG head continued. “If it does not, mainstream consumers will remain skeptical about mobile commerce, potentially wasting billions of dollars of investment into new features, and the manufacturers, networks and developers will face the wrath of wronged consumers when their digital privacy is compromised.”
Do you trust your smartphone services to securely allow you to check your bank balance or are you happy keeping nuddy images in blind faith? Let us know via the TrustedReviews Twitter and Facebook feeds or through the comment boxes below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
