What would you do? (privacy and technology)

[Kimberly @ElectricHippoParticipant]

At Saturday’s event, we were asked to unlock our cellular device and hand it over to the attendant. For those of you that attended the event, how did this request make you feel? Did you consider declining the request? Did you feel anxious having handed it over? If you were anxious, what was your exact fear? Did something specific on your phone come to mind that you’d hate for anyone to see?

If you did not attend the event I’d still love your input. How do you think you would have reacted to the cell phone request? Or even more broadly, how do you react in general to any possible breach of technology based privacy? This can range from an inclination to cover your browser when you hear someone walking up behind you, to aversion towards using online banking.

My answer: I was at the event. I didn’t hesitate in handing over my phone. Even after the interviewer explained to me how easy it would be for them to delete all data, I felt no anxiety. The magic word that popped in my head was: iCloud! When they suggested they could download all my data I still didn’t feel anxious because I don’t have any deep dark secrets hidden on my phone. If they had interest in stealing, for example, my banking info, that’d be a bummer but it is illegal, regardless of the waivers we signed, and it is remediable.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by  Sean (@TheGilded).

[Sean (@TheGilded)Moderator]

I did not hesitate. They didn’t warn me they could delete anything, but with the frequency at which I back up my phone I would not be concerned. As far as privacy, there isn’t much I’m concerned with. I suppose I’d care about my banking information but all of that has secondary logins that would be needed, so they couldn’t access it immediately anyways.

If they wanted to go through my texts or browser history, it’s mostly just puns and ass jokes. I hope they enjoyed them if they did. If they wanted to go through my photo gallery… Well… I absolutely believe they’d feel more uncomfortable than I would.

There are some contacts that aren’t involved in any of this from my past that I’d rather they not contact, especially on my behalf. I guess that’s the closest thing to concern I have about any breach of privacy.

[Jake OParticipant]

I also did not hesitate. While I constantly use my phone, I don’t consider anything on it irreplaceable. Also, I’m sure there are embarrassing things about me that could be gleaned from tracking its usage, but nothing very exciting.

[MikeParticipant]

I didn’t hesitate either. I never felt that anything on my phone was in any danger, whether is be deletion, posts made, or seeing what websites were open (all were Tension related anyway haha).

One thing I did notice afterwards and I’m not sure if somehow I did this accidentally or if it happened at the event, but my volume was turned down. Not the volume on the side of the iPhone, but the volume under “settings – sounds – ringer and alerts” That was all the way down. Besides that and the pictures, I didn’t notice anything else yet.

[Kimberly @ElectricHippoParticipant]

@mike I’d forgotten about that! I noticed the next day that my ringer volume was off. It is possible I did it accidentally, although that never happens. My other guess was maybe they didn’t want me to hear the sound of my camera going off just in case I had that sound effect enabled.

[MikeParticipant]

Innnttterreesstttiinnnggggg!!!!

[Susie JParticipant]

I was already unlocking my phone and thrusting it back and behind me before he could even finish asking. I had no qualms about anything they might find on my phone. If they’re into collecting pictures of fat chicks sitting naked on glass tables or hilarious internet memes, I’m their girl. Yes, I have darkness in me, but for the OOA I will be an open book.

[Kimberly @ElectricHippoParticipant]

@monkeymuffin333 By chance were you at the corner around 6:15pm that evening? It looked to me like it was you there, clutching your phone, looking conspicuous like all of us probably did. They unfortunately didn’t ask me to stare into the next Apostle’s eyes, but if they had I think you would have been my target. Maybe next time.

So far none of us seem to have cowered under the interviewers technology threat. I wonder if this is really much of a surprise to them. Maybe we are all the wrong age demographic. It seems to me that if they threatened the same to the kids at my daughter’s high school, chaos and tears might break out.

[Susie JParticipant]

Yup, dat was me. I was pensive because I’d just had my first Uber ride. ^__^

[thecatnipperParticipant]

I think i can agree with this. Age demographic definitely plays a role.
@electrichippo

[MelissaModerator]

Hi Kim!

I didn’t hesitate. I simply unlocked the phone with my fingerprint and closed out the Slack app so the gentleman had access to the main menu. Handed over the phone and proceeded to wonder whether the woman was saying my phone could be deleted in 120 seconds or all the information could be copied in 120 seconds*.

*made the bad choice of not equipping my hearing aids** on so there was a lot of “what did you say?” or “repeat that?!”
**yes I wear hearing aids or least I should be wearing them.

[PuppetGirlParticipant]

I had to have the guy repeat a lot. I couldn’t understand him. I started to wonder if it’s my hearing. He sounded all muffled and echoey to me even without the hood on. Maybe it was the room acoustics.

[thecatnipperParticipant]

Hi, I feel that most of the people who replied here were attendees, I however a less active member so to speak… was not in attendance…

However I would like to reply to how i would feel about the situation in two of the following ways :
1. If I had attended
2. And not attended.

Firstly. Im sure hesitation was not and issue with people who were attending because you all were already expected something of this sort, invading privacy (our technological device), but perhaps its because you have already answered their interpersonal questionnaire? I mean from those questions that were asked initially to singing up for this, enlightenment, why would one hesitate to hand it over?…. I would presume that If i were in the same shoes as some of you, I would probably not hesitate either. With my heart pumping full of adrenaline ready to take on and triumph whatever the OOA has to throw at me. I would do anything at that moment and see what would come of it. (Then regret it after the meeting was over ). I would have over whelming anxiety to the point of a panic attack.

As for them deleting my device data and or copying it. The only issues i would find is to have my pictures gone. I have precious moments and memories saved on my phone. That i would be sad about. Okay now to answer breach of confidentiality. I would be PISSSED if they accessed my bank account. This just seems beyond me the most unfathomable thing waiver signed or not. This is borderline ludacris…. Id rage, literally. But as you said its illegal so (yay).. any way. End rant with that…

Second. To answer the last bit of the question about being on a computer and minimizing a screen when someone (stranger, teacher, whoever) would curiously walk by just to look at my screen, I would immediately minimize to home page, thats just me. I like my privacy…. I would probably just be looking at cat videos anyway.

Overall, conclusion: In ALL honesty. Id hate to give anyone my phone.. Its not that i have anything on there that is ” whats the word” — Nasty, questionable, evidence??? i dont know..
I really dont mind but literally they would gain nothing from looking at it. that is just my thought on this..

@electrichippo

feedback ?

[_Michael GrayParticipant]

I was in attendance at Saturday’s event and I had no quarrels with handing my phone over. I think with my excitement at being there, I was not hesitant at all to hand over my phone. I kinda figured they’d have us leave them behind in case anyone was recording audio. I didn’t question what they wanted my phone for, except that maybe they didn’t trust us to have them. I have nothing to hide on my phone and I know that in order to get into my financial apps, they need my password. I was quite ecstatic when I had my phone back, only to find a picture of myself, hood and all haha. Thank you OOA

[PuppetGirlParticipant]

My husband and I had that same discussion about the younger generation may not have handed their phones over.

(Wow I sound old now)

[Anonymous]

Holy cow. I am really not sure it is just the “younger generation” that would have a problem handing over their phone as I’m 46 and I wouldn’t hand over my phone to anyone I didn’t know unlocked! I don’t think any of my friends and co-workers would either.

[Kimberly @ElectricHippoParticipant]

@mrohio What are you afraid they’d do or find? You’re our first to express anxiety. Please elaborate 😀

[Anonymous]

It has nothing to do with “what do you have to hide”… whenever anyone invades your privacy that is a ridiculous notion to start from in my opinion. I once got in trouble for reading my little sister’s diary and I don’t remember “what is she hiding! we have to know her secrets!!!” being a defense as I was getting my butt whooped!

It is simply that I expect a modicum of privacy and the computer I carry in my pocket with all of my communications is one of the places that has the most private things on it… emails, photos, search history, etc etc etc.

[PuppetGirlParticipant]

My husband & I discussed how we haven’t always had phones or computers so we know what it’s like to live without them and look at them a bit differently than younger gens. They are a tool, not something that we’ve always had and “need” but rather a convenience that we’ve grown to depend on and understand to some extent. We also understand how “Big Brother” technology has made our lives because when we read 1984 in school it hadn’t quite happened yet. We’ve either chosen to accept it or push back. Those that push back would never participate in this anyway because they probably think it’s a government conspiracy.
Then there are the older generations (especially outside of major cities) that have a different perspective on things. Like my mom, for example, she uses Facebook all the time to share memes about how the government wants to take away our guns, how we should protect our country from immigration, and a lot of American flags. She doesnt feel comfortable paying for things online. She would never hand over her phone to a stranger like that and honestly there’s probably nothing on it but a couple of photos taken from Facebook and her call/text history. Again she would never participate in this and probably wishes I wouldn’t either.
But I feel like I don’t keep anything that private on my phone except my bank app that requires I login each time. I don’t really have secrets, but if I did I wouldn’t keep them on my phone. I would be upset if someone deleted it, but everything should be backed up in the cloud. Yes I suppose truly malicious people taking your phone could cause some major inconveniences if they wanted to like screw up your Facebook account or email, but they could do that without having your phone if they were really out to get you. And being the type of person that signs up for this type of thing, it wasn’t a big concern. Yes I was a little uncomfortable at first and hate the idea that I could be inconvenienced by having to recover my data or what if they accidentally drop it because I’ve already paid to replace this one recently when it fell out of my pocket and going to the Apple Store is huge pain in the ass…but no real privacy concerns.

[Kimberly @ElectricHippoParticipant]

@thecatnipper189 brought up something I find really interesting. She said we all filled out the very personal Tension questionnaire. I think this does turn us into somewhat of a self-selected group for the cell phone experiment. I’ve heard of various people who chose not to pursue Tension due to that questionnaire alone. Perhaps those people would also be more apt to freak out over these technology privacy issues.

[PuppetGirlParticipant]

I also know people that chose not to participate because of the questionnaire.

[AerosquirrelParticipant]

They can have 45gb worth of photos and videos of my pets, they’re cute as hell. Do they want to judge my spotify playlist? Its terrible, thanks. As far as the questionnaire, I can just give it to my doctor for my next appointment, cut down on a lot of chit chat for me, mate.

[thecatnipperParticipant]

I also think that the OOA should thank technology and not scrutinize it so much, because if it wasn’t for technology… the tension experience wouldn’t be what it is
now……

[Author]

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