There is no lie in the fact that streaming platforms have become an essential part of our daily life. It has become almost impossible to escape their impact as abundant streaming platforms offer a vast range of entertainment, from classic movies to thrilling series, amusing music, and even podcasts and sports.
There is nothing that you cannot find on these platforms. With their user-friendly interface and wide content library, they have revolutionized how we devour media. If we are searching for the latest shows or movies or are on the hunt for a classic movie to reminisce our memories, the streaming apps won’t let us down.
With all its perks and benefits, streaming apps have become indispensable. Making people go to the extent of using VPN to access the dstv outside South Africa.
Also, a drastic inclination of people toward cord-cutting has been seen. Indicating that a hefty amount of people are going with the streaming platform subscription instead of paying the high cost of TV charges.
But this utter convenience has made us forget that this dependency is leading us to expose our private details to third parties. It is essential to know what data these apps retain and what impact they can have on us. Without further ado, let’s dive into the details.
Individual Information
The first and foremost thing we do to consume the services of these streaming platforms is to make an account there. And for creating an account, streaming apps collect our personal information, such as name, email address, and date of birth.
They often ask for our phone number too. This information actually helps them to provide us with suitable recommendations and content which we will prefer.
They Know What You Are Watching
For the purpose of improving their provision of services, streaming apps also collect data regarding your usage of data. This data information may include the details like the content you watch. And the songs that you are listening to and also how long you are consuming the services.
All this data algorithm provided to them helps to maintain your recommendations. This way, the app will suggest all the programs that are similar to what you are watching, improving your viewing experience.
Information of Your Device
Most streaming apps also demand to collect data about the device on which you are consuming their services. What type of device you are using, and what operating system it has, along with the distinctive device identifiers. This information helps them to make sure that the compatibility and performance optimization will not raise any trouble and technical issues in the future.
They Know Where You Are Located
Streaming apps also demand access to the location of yours. The reason behind asking for this personal information is to provide you with location-based content and suggest you discover the localized content.
Often you may have seen some content that is available on the streaming platforms, but still, you are not allowed to access it. This happens because of the geo-restrictions imposed on the content according to the location. However, you still have the option to disable the location if you do not prefer to share this detail.
Collecting Your Payment Details
When you are using the services of the streaming platform, you may need to upgrade yourself to the premium version and enjoy the advanced services it has to offer.
If you want to make in-app purchases, to do so, streaming platforms require you to collect your payment details, including your credit card and billing addresses. This personal information is privately processed to ensure smooth transactions.
Incorporation with Third parties
Streaming apps are also seen integrating with third-party app services, for instance, social media platforms and various advertising networks. This grants you to offer social sharing features, personalize ads accordingly and provide you with the preferred content.
But stay alert, as these third-party apps have their own personal policies and different data-collecting practices. They can monitor your app usage for online activities for school or work and share related ads.
User Consent
Well, amid all this uncertainty, there is still a way to escape from providing all of your personal information which you are not comfortable sharing, not even with the streaming apps in exchange for their services.
These platforms understand your concerns, and some of them also grant you the option of you having control over what you would like to share. And the information they have collected and used.
You can easily opt-out from providing this information by managing settings in your device and can opt out from practicing specific data collection terms.
Measures For Securing Your Privacy
Streaming services are deriving different measures to ensure the safety of their users by safeguarding your personal information and preventing data breaches that could happen. And To achieve that, they have started using encryptions and security servers and regularly update security software along with the security protocols.
Wrapping Up
It is necessary to secure your privacy to read the privacy policies of the streaming apps and consider their policies regarding collecting your data and their usage. These purposes may vary with every streaming platform, so research before opting out for one.