I am no stranger to apps that collect an obscene amount of information, but after reading this  post from Computer World titled ‘Snooping: It’s not a crime, it’s a feature‘, this is too much. The article highlights apps like Color and Shopkick that access the microphone in your phone to listen to ‘noise’ around you without you knowing at that moment.

Over paranoid I may be and true I don’t have national secrets, but I view this as straight wire tapping. Color’s privacy policy does not state any of this information. Granted in their EULA they do say, ‘ By using this Licensed Application, you acknowledge that the Licensed Application may collect and use personal data, technical data and related information, including but not limited to your Device’s location, technical information about Your Device, system and application software, and peripherals, that is gathered periodically to facilitate the provision of software updates, product support and other services to You (if any) related to the Licensed Application. Color may use this information, as long as it is in a form that does not personally identify You, to improve its products or to provide services or technologies to You. You also understand that full use of this Licensed Application may require you to register on the Color website, and that personally identifiable information may be collected by Color, consistent with its privacy policy. In addition, because this Licensed Application allows you to take photographs and videos, and to post comments (collectively, “Images”), you may be providing personal identification in the form of photographic images.’

I was going to test these apps out, but I will NEVER use either or any that gather mic data (unless I am prompted eg. Shazam) and will recommend that others don’t also. Of course if you don’t care who is listening, when they are, and how they are using the information they gather in ever updating TOS, why be concerned? And here I thought Facebook sharing my info with others was bordering crossing the line.