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PiMuNu [soylentnews.org] writes:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66964510 [bbc.com]

I thought this was an interesting, albeit extreme, example of how the data that phone software harvests can be used for evil purposes. In this case it's a loan software that harvests contact data

FTFA:
The business model is brutal but simple.

There are many apps that promise hassle-free loans in minutes. Not all of them are predatory. But many - once downloaded - harvest your contacts, photos and ID cards, and use that information later to extort you.

When customers don't repay on time - and sometimes even when they do - they share this information with a call centre where young agents of the gig economy, armed with laptops and phones are trained to harass and humiliate people into repayment.

...

As the abuse escalated they threatened to message all of the 486 contacts in her phone telling them she was a thief and a whore. When they threatened to tarnish her daughter's reputation too, Bhoomi could no longer sleep.

She borrowed from friends, family and more and more apps - 69 in total. At night, she prayed the morning would never come. But without fail at 07:00, her phone would start pinging and buzzing incessantly.

Original Submission