Schaub: Google’s device usage study could cost you your privacy

Google is offering gift cards in exchange for access to user’s smartphone data. Many consumers may see this as a quick way to earn cash, but University of Michigan School of Information associate professor Florian Schaub, an expert on data privacy and protection, says it’s important to understand the tradeoffs of Google’s Device Usage Study. 

For the Detroit Free Press, Schaub warns that participants in Google’s Device Usage Study may be giving more information than they realize. 

"The privacy policy is very specific that we're going to track everything, including what you do in Incognito Windows. Previously anonymous data may now be identifiable. All those risks are not disclosed here," Schaub says. “You want to make sure you're making an informed decision about this.” 

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Read “Google promises gift cards to some who agree to hand over data” at the Detroit Free Press. 

Learn more about Schaub’s research on privacy and consumer data protection by visiting his UMSI faculty profile.