But it now appears that top tech giant Google is on the move to control the situation. The search engine giant hopes to introduce a range of security features whose main goal is to prevent access to users’ images and contact lists.
The new law would come into play by the end of May this year and it is designed to safeguard users from the likes of abuse and online harassment. These are the latest changes made to its policy and they were identified by TechCrunch today so personal loan apps are kept at bay.
So if you’ve got personal images, videos, or contact numbers on your device, you no longer have to worry about it being transferred or taken advantage of.
The action comes after plenty of cases regarding harassment were reported from different parts of the world including Pakistan, the Philippines, Kenya, and India. And it’s not something new, it’s been happening for a while now. So it’s about time Google took notice and did something about it.
Similarly, it’s very common to see such platforms gaining access to phonebooks and media before giving out their financial services to respective clients. And the fact that individuals may install such apps with ease on their devices seems like they’re the most convenient answer for a sudden surge of financial issues.
But let’s not forget how they end up charging huge interest rates when so many borrowers have trouble with due payments. This is the point in time when such abuse starts. Moreover, agents were seen sending out profanity-filled text messages to contact lists belonging to the borrower, after stealing access to them.
From colleagues to loved ones and more, random texts would be sent out that would embarrass the client in such a way that it would humiliate them and make them pay for it. Moreover, some individuals would threaten those further and even cause harm to family members.
As mentioned by TechCrunch, sometimes the abuse would really get too bad for some individuals that it would cause them to take their lives.
So now, Google is stepping into the picture and taking the situation under its own wings to help nations struggling with the ordeal. Therefore, all apps need to gain approval and a list of documentation from respective government agencies.
Across America, Google ended up banning apps providing payday loans that had a yearly percentage rate that was greater than 36% in 2019. And in places like Pakistan, it was non-banking financial firms would only give given the chance to include a single loan app across Google Play Store, beginning next month.
The screening measures are certainly tight and much more intense than what was seen a year back. But still, there are still a huge number of apps providing loans on Google’s Play Store that are working without any form of check and balance.
Therefore, we tend to hear about online abuse and harassment cases, time after time. Users keep being taken advantage of by agents routinely. But with stricter measures like these in place, screening can now be done easily.
Just screening agents is not the solution and Google has seen that it was worked without much success in the past. But with that said, Google is working hard in terms of blocking apps from getting access to users’ phonebooks.
Read next: Protecting Your Digital Life: The Alarming Increase in Phishing Scams
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World
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