Use your mobile phone safely

On the occasion of the European Data Protection Day, the Information Centre for Mobile Communications gives advice on some basic legal rules for using a mobile phone.

Berlin, 27.01.2012 - Sending photos of a birthday party, sharing favorite songs with friends or showing a holidays video in the social network  -  nowadays , with modern mobile phones  it is easily done. However, not everything is allowed.  Personal data, including photos and films, are subject to special protection. The Information Centre for Mobile Communications presents some important information on how to deal safe with sensitive data.

Protecting personality

Most of the modern mobile phones are equipped with efficient cameras. While making public and sending snapshots, film- or audio recordings, some things have to be taken into account.  Making public private photos and films is only allowed if the person questioned has given his/her consent. Otherwise, the right in one’s own image is infringed. Especially, hidden recordings are a great problem, as additionally, the personal rights of the person who is being recorded or whose photo has been taken, are violated.

Only for personal use

A mobile phone is increasingly becoming a multimedia platform: mobile phone users can listen to music, watch films, read news and books. Via Bluetooth, MMS or internet one can easily share the contents with other people. Anyway, it is often forgotten that music, pictures and texts are normally copyrighted. This means that such data can be distributed only if the owner has given his/her permission.  It is usually permitted to make copies for personal use. To forward data to relatives or friends, free of charge of course, is allowed. Breaking copy protection, however, is a criminal offense and may incur a penalty. It is also forbidden to spread the data via file-sharing site or upload it on the personal website, other than it is explicitly allowed by the owner.

Advice for safe use of a mobile phone

• Personal data, including name, address, passwords (login data) and photos and films, should be handled carefully and forwarded only to reliable, trustworthy people.

• Data transmission function, as Bluetooth, should be deactivated if not used.

• Owners of smartphones should be especially aware and careful, because meanwhile, these devices have become a target of hacker attacks. Here, the same rules as for a PC apply: firewalls and anti-virus software protect from unauthorized access and data piracy.

• Particularly, children and teenager should be informed about data protection and copyright law. It should be also explained what consequences the misuse may have.

• Before using pictures, texts and music, it is important to obtain information on copyright, as well as the permission for legitimate use.

• In case of the suspicion that a criminal offence has been committed, the police should be informed. For those who receive such contents like, for example, “happy slapping” films, it is advisable not to delete them at once but to save them as evidence.