The Computer Professionals’ Union (CPU) has warned the Filipinos about the privacy features of the Lyka application citing a post entitled “The Dangers of Lyka,” on its official Facebook page on Sunday, February 14.
What is Lyka?
Lyka is a free social media platform that can be downloaded on any iOs App Store or Android Google Play devices that allow users to connect, discover, and share common interests with other individuals. It is one of the many social media platforms that allow its users to earn a collective Gift Card in Electronic Mode (GEMS) and convert it into cash.
What is the CPU’s concern?
“Getting monetary rewards just from participating in a social media platform may seem like a dream come true for many people, but you may just end up as unwitting subjects for a large-scale market research,” CPU wrote.
Concerning Lyka’s legal privacy, CPU cited some important “Privacy Policy” discerning it as red flags:
Section A: States the user’s personal information such as name, address, phone number, and bank account numbers and in case the user registers as a celebrity, a valid government-issued identification card will be collected for registration or login.
Section C: States Lyka may disclose their users’ personal data to other marketing platforms such as Facebook and Twitter “to assist us to provide services to you or who otherwise process Personal Data for purposes described in this Privacy Policy or notified to you when we collect your Personal Data.”
On top of that, CPU also said that Lyka has otherwise accessed the user’s camera without their explicit consent. “This isn’t even counting other issues like users being to convert their gems to cash and the presence of major bugs within the app,” the group said.
“As of February 2021, there is no way to delete or deactivate a Lyka account once it has been created,” it added.
What is Lyka’s response concerning data privacy?
Before CPU raises its concern about Lyka’s data privacy, a mobile web developer posted a complaint on Reddit claiming that the app is accessing the user’s mobile phone camera and location through “Orange” and “Green” indicators beeping on the users status bar on iOS.
However, Lyka CEO Ryan Braid had responded to this issue in January, saying “the previous glitch affecting iOS has already been fixed and resolved.”
He added, “Our users’ privacy is our utmost priority. LYKA will never put users’ security at risk.”
Lyka’s data processing asset in their Privacy Policy stated that “Our legal basis to process Personal Data will depend on the Personal Data concerned and the specific context in which we collect it.” This means that the application’s collecting and processing of data is normal only when the users give their consent. Thus, the app does not override the user’s rights.
If you have concerns about the use of your Personal Data and Lyka’s Privacy Policy, you can contact their email support at support@mylyka.com or read its full privacy statement at https://mylyka.com/privacy-policy.
Photo Credit: facebook.com/cheatstreet/
Source: https://web.facebook.com/CPUnion/photos/a.199495062202/10158296171062203/?type=3, https://www.reddit.com/r/beermoneyph/comments/him2bg/sa_mga_nagtatanong_if_scam_ba_yung_lyka_ito/, https://web.facebook.com/105925294357840/photos/a.105926847691018/231550058462029/?type=3
