T-Mobile recording your screen isn’t breaking the rules, but it should be
The T-Life app from T-Mobile is almost mandatory if you’re a subscriber. Unfortunately, it can record your screen while you use it, and it is set to do so by default. Whether good or bad, this shouldn’t be allowed.
A lot has already been said about this lately, with most of it talking about how T-Mobile is invading users’ privacy. That’s true; I think this is an unforgivable breach of trust, and if I hadn’t switched away for other reasons, I would definitely switch carriers after this.
While your opinion might be different, one thing is a fact: Google and Apple allowed this to happen without any input from you. T-Mobile is completely playing by the rules here.
A deeper understanding of what’s going on
There are a few things you really need to know about this situation and others like it. For starters, T-Mobile isn’t doing anything wrong; it’s following the rules for apps hosted by Apple and Google in each respective app store.
When I asked T-Mobile for some information about what was happening and why, a representative gave me this response:
“To help us give customers who use T-Life a smoother experience, we are rolling out a new tool in the app that will help us quickly troubleshoot reported or detected issues. This tool records activities within the app only and does not see or access any personal information. If a customer’s T-Life app currently supports the new functionality, it can be turned off in the settings under preferences.”
It’s evident that T-Mobile doesn’t think it’s doing anything wrong here, and regardless of how you or I feel about it, it isn’t. This is not a pre-installed app with system-wide permissions; it’s an app you installed from the Play Store or App Store, presumably after reading the privacy policy and understanding how your data is collected and used, and being okay with it.
Of course, nothing said “Hey, we’re going to record your screen, is that OK?” but the store listings do tell you how your private information will be collected, but not shared. That’s all T-Mobile needs to do, and what allows the company to build an app that records your screen the first time you use it and until you turn the feature off. It isn’t recording anything outside the app (it can’t), and it has an explanation for why it needs this information. Its bases are covered 100%.
But it still feels wrong. It leads to my real question: why is this allowed to happen?
Blame Apple and Google
Recording or otherwise capturing the contents of your screen isn’t anything new, and I think everyone has done it once or twice, at least. It can be useful for both you and for quality control from the developers and providers of an app or service. I’m not opposed to the idea on any level, and I don’t think anyone should be; it’s just another feature.
Where I think issues come into play is that this happens without asking. There is no way you can use the app and turn the setting off without it happening, so having a setting means little when it’s enabled by default. I do not care that the only information you provide while using the app is captured, or that T-Mobile doesn’t share any of it with any other party.
I care that it is enabled by default. I really care that Apple and Google have no problem allowing, nay, enabling this behavior. Two companies that constantly crow about your privacy and how they protect you and your data, pretending to be some sort of benevolent benefactor and a shield between you and the “bad guy.”
The problem isn’t that T-Mobile is recording your screen; it’s that this feature is enabled by default.
The reality is a lot simpler and sinister: Google and Apple only care about Google and Apple, T-Mobile only cares about T-Mobile, and you have to care about yourself and your privacy. I’m very skeptical about any sort of “privacy initiatives” from huge tech companies (and often very vocal about that), but I can’t see any other explanation, especially now that this has been talked about for a week.
Someone at Apple and Google has likely been made aware, and so far, no action has been taken.
My complaining about policies that permit this isn’t going to change anything either. A simple outcome is for T-Mobile to change one variable in the app’s code from true to false, rebuild it, and send out a mandatory update. A better solution is for Apple and Google to change the rules so that while this is allowed, users need to be told up front and given a way to decide for themselves.
Most people have no idea this is happening, and a good many of them wouldn’t care anyway. Google and Apple are the ones who need to care and exert better control over their platforms.
As such, Android Central has reached out to both Google and Apple to inquire about their plans for updating their privacy policies for their app stores. Neither company responded in time for publication, and we will update the article when they do.
How to shut it off
The most important thing for you to know is how to have control over the feature. Now that you know what’s going on and why, here’s how you can turn off the feature if you don’t want it recording what you do in the app.
In the T-Life app settings, scroll down to Preferences and tap Screen recording tool. Here is where you can toggle it on or off.
Remember, it’s on by default. But not for everyone. Many users don’t see this setting or feature at all on their Android phone or their iPhone. You need to check if it’s active for your instance of the app and decide what you would like to do.
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