Browser Privacy - HTC Incredible

[ORDarksideD]

Just read this on Engadget:

Droid Incredible saves browser screenshots to internal memory, turns into a privacy nightmare? -- Engadget


I haven't seen this posted anywhere and thought some of you guys might want to know about it. From what I've read it sounds as if it saves screenshots when you bookmark a page and then puts said screenshot on your SD card. I'm not really sure how this a privacy concern.

 

[necosino]

The issue is that, if you don't have an SD card in when you setup the phone, it saves it to internal memory. Then when you do a hard reset, the internal memory doesn't get formatted (You have to do that first). So someone could see the thumbnails.

 

[nkk]

Thanks for pointing this out, but I thin engadget is blowing it a bit out of proportion. The DInc has previews of your bookmarks (anyone that uses the bookmarks knows that). So they should know that when they bookmark something, a preview will be made. Additionally, anyone using bookmarks knows they refresh. And they do so with live screen shots. So....

Anyway, I agree that HTC should fix this. It should ask if you want live updates to the screenshot preview. However, if something is that important that it not be shown to anyone else, why is it on the Internet? And, assuming it is a secure location, why would you use one of the least secure devices you could to access it? Not that the DInc is not secure, but when you access things that are a true matter of privacy (credit reports or work related items that are under strict NDA's or government rated) you really are an idiot if you do it via a phone. As for other stuff, how horrible is it if someone you sold a phone to knows (a year or so down the line, mind you), that your friend josh had a bad date from a facebook shot. Or that at one time you had $343 in your online banking account (I assumed the screens do not have the account number for security reasons, because my bank does not). What is anyone really going to do with that information?

-Nkk

 

[nickreich]

It doesnt take screenshots of everything you browse. Only thumbnails of the homepage of your bookmarks. Not going to matter anyway, HTC is going to release a fix. Probably around when they roll out Froyo

 

[Nicaragüense]

There were pics in that folder of tons of pages, i only have 3 bookmarks other than the preprogrammed stuff.

 

[kjarrett]

FYI - a fix is coming:

HTC Droid Incredible may be gearing up for Froyo, 802.11n wireless support | Android Central