Smartphone and apps
Your smartphone or tablet contains a lot of personal information about you. Apps on your smartphone or tablet collect these data or often have access to these data. For example, your contacts, photos and location. This is why it is important that you ensure that the settings of your smartphone or tablet are safe. And that you pay proper attention when installing and using apps. To ensure that you do not give away more data than you actually want to. And to ensure that your data do not end up in the wrong hands.
On this page
Personal data on smartphone or tablet
There are 3 types of personal data that can be found on your smartphone or tablet:
- data about the use of the device (such as which apps you use and how often you do this);
- data on the device (such as your contacts and photos);
- data from the device (such as your location and movements).
Safe settings on your smartphone or tablet
You can take various measures for ensuring that the settings of your smartphone or tablet are as safe as possible. By doing so, you reduce the privacy risks.
Privacy and apps
Apps may need some of the data on your smartphone or tablet. These data are necessary for the functioning of the app. But do you, for example, provide more data than necessary? Then this may entail a risk for your privacy. Even if developers and providers of apps always have to comply with the privacy legislation.
The installation and use of apps come with more privacy risks. This is why we give you tips about what you need to take into account when installing and using an app.
Quick answers
To whom can I turn if I have a question or complaint about an app or a smartphone?
Do you have a question or complaint about the use of your personal data by an app? Or by the operating system of your smartphone or tablet? Then contact the developer of the app or of the operating system first.
Contact the app developer or provider
It makes no difference if the app developer or the app provider has its registered office in the Netherlands or abroad. The European privacy legislation applies if the developer or provider uses equipment in Europe. This is the case for smartphones and tablets.
The contact details can often be found through the ‘app store’. Or by looking for the name of the app on the Internet. The developer or provider may also have a website with contact details. Are you unable to find any contact details? Then try to find out who the developer of the operating system of your smartphone or tablet is.
Contact concerning operating system
You can find information about the privacy settings of your operating system through the following links. They also provide contact information in case you have a question or complaint.
Further steps in the case of a question or complaint
Do you have a complaint and are you unable to resolve it together with the developer or provider of the app or operating system? Then you can submit a complaint to the Dutch Data Protection Authority.
