Web browser or apps?

Difference between accessing site on a web browser and from an app

The use of smart devices (for example, smart TVs or tablets) have changed the way we access our favourite sites.  At the start of the 20^th Century, when we wanted to view the news we would open a web browser and type in bbc.co.uk/news or if we wanted to log-in to the new age social media sites we would type facebook.com into the same browser.  Nowadays, the number of people who are downloading apps and browsing their favourite sites in this way is growing at a rapid pace.

Web browser

A web browser (like Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox) acts as your portal to the internet.  One browser is all that a user needs to access multiple websites to read stories, listen to music, or interact with their friends.

Apps

A mobile app is an application downloaded to your smart device.  These apps are software applications written for a particular platform (for example, iOS or Android).  Unlike a website, users will download and install individual apps for accessing their online shopping from John Lewis or reading an Asiana magazine article.

The security difference

To assess the difference lets look at the two companies: Amazon and Facebook.

When you visit any of there on the a web browser (on your laptop, computer or smart device) the information Amazon or Facebook get from you is limited to what you input when registering with them, and you can control it via the web browser configuration settings.

However, when you download apps here is what they want to know about you:

Why does Amazon need to access your microphone?

Why does Facebook need to know your WiFi connection information?

There is a lot of "interconnectivity" behind the scenes which people forget.  If you want to dictate your Amazon purchase rather than type it into the search bar, this microphone permission automatically activates the microphone rather than you having to switch screens and have to manually switch it on yourself.  However, it is for you to decide if you are happy for an app to have this extra access to your device.

Advertising and marketing are important reasons apps need permission.  Companies want to gather as much information about you so they can market items you may potentially buy, and they will also gather your data to store for the future or sell to a third party.  This is how you are targeted with location-based adverts or can find out what your friends are doing online if they have the same app.

What does this mean for you?

If you are security conscious about how much information you give away then you should make a risk assessment before downloading an app for your favourite website.  Do you really need to download an app for Pinterest or will visiting it via a browser be sufficient?  If you are downloading apps check the permission levels it is requesting.