The new SkyFire web browser has garnered some attention lately as being a significant improvement in terms of web browsers on Windows Mobile. One thing that seemed suspicious to me in the beta sign-up process is that you need to include the mobile number of the device that you intend to use the browser on. Your mobile number is used to send an SMS with a link for the download of the application, but it is also used for authenticating your use of the SkyFire web browser. That means, you can’t use it on a phone number that was not registered, nor can you use it on a device with WiFi if your phone is off or non-existent.
The reason I was suspicious about this is because often when companies collect your contact information, they sell it to other companies so that they can send you solicitations. In reading the SkyFire privacy policy, it sounds like they may be open to sharing your contact information with their affiliates and potentially allowing unsolicited text messages or even phone calls to your mobile.
I’ve learned my lesson a long time ago and only give out my real phone number or email address to real people that I know. I keep separate email addresses for correspondences where there’s a chance they might sell my information to spammers. The fact that SkyFire requires your real phone number seems awfully shady to me. Why couldn’t they just require a username/password/serial number registration method like everyone else?
EDIT: See the discussion link below for SkyFire’s official response to the privacy concern.
Originally published on Pocketnow on February 16, 2008. More Thought articles from the Pocketnow archive.