How to Remove Your Contact List From Loan Apps That Share Data Without Consent in Nigeria
Have you noticed unsolicited calls and messages on your phone recently from companies you’ve never heard of? If so, your contact list may have been shared without consent by certain loan apps operating in Nigeria. These apps are known to call the contacts of users to market their services or collect debts, often in an aggressive manner. As a consumer, you have the right to privacy and to control who accesses your personal information. By following a few simple steps, you can remove your contact list from these apps and prevent unwanted calls to your friends and family. This article provides the names of known offending loan apps in Nigeria and walks you through how to delete your contact data from their systems so you can regain control of your information.
Understanding How Loan Apps Access and Share Your Contacts in Nigeria
To understand how loan apps access and share your contacts in Nigeria without consent, it is important to first understand what information they collect and how they obtain it. Typically, when you install a loan app on your mobile device and grant it access to your contacts, it collects the names, phone numbers, and other details of everyone in your address book.
How Do Loan Apps Get Permission to Access Contacts?
When you install the app and open it for the first time, it will prompt you to grant various permissions to access certain data and device features like your contacts, location, storage, camera, etc. If you tap “Allow” or “OK” without reading the details, you are consenting to provide the app full access to your contacts and any updates made to them going forward.
How Loan Apps Share and Use Your Contacts
Some unscrupulous loan apps share your contacts with third parties for advertising or even sell the data to make a profit. They justify this by burying consent for such sharing in their lengthy privacy policies that most users do not read. Your contacts may then receive unsolicited calls, texts, and spam from various companies. Some apps also use your contacts to build a profile about you based on your connections and network.
To avoid having your contacts accessed and shared without consent, carefully review the permissions requested by any app before installing and deny access to anything that seems unnecessary. You should also regularly review installed apps and remove any with access to your contacts that are no longer in use. Taking these precautions can help limit how much of your private information is collected and shared by loan apps and other services in Nigeria.
Full List of Loan Apps Known to Share Contact Lists Without Consent
To protect your privacy and personal information, it is important to remove your contact list from loan apps operating in Nigeria that share data without consent. Several apps have been found to access users’ contact lists and share the information with third parties for marketing purposes, often without explicit permission.
Full List of Offending Loan Apps
The following is a comprehensive list of loan apps known to access and share contact details without users’ consent:
- Palmcredit
- Aladdin Lamp
- Angel Loan
- Branch
- Carbon
- Quickcheck
- Aella Credit
- Renmoney
- Paylater
- Fairmoney
- KiaKia
To remove your contact list from these apps and prevent unauthorized access, you should immediately delete the app from your phone. You may also want to reset your advertising ID or limit ad tracking to opt out of targeted marketing. Some apps allow you to adjust privacy settings to disable contact list access, but deleting the app is the only way to fully remove your information.
Exercising caution when downloading new apps, especially those that request access to contacts, location, storage and other personal data, can help safeguard your privacy going forward. You have the right to keep your contact details private. Demand transparent data use policies from lenders and report any unauthorized sharing of information. By taking action, users can force apps to adopt ethical data practices. Together, we can work to end predatory behavior that takes advantage of people in need of financial services.
Step-by-Step Guide to Removing Contact Access From Loan Apps
To remove access to your contacts from predatory loan apps in Nigeria, follow these steps:
Check App Permissions
Go to the list of apps on your phone and locate the loan app(s) you want to restrict contact access for. Tap on each app and select “Permissions.” Review the list of permissions granted to the app. If “Contacts” or “Phone” is listed, the app currently has access to your contact list and phone data.
Revoke Contact Permissions
Tap “Revoke access” or similar next to the Contacts permission to remove the app’s ability to access your contacts. You may be prompted to confirm this action. Tap “Yes” or “Revoke” to proceed.
Update App Settings
Some apps allow you to enable or disable access to contacts within the app’s own settings. Open the loan app and look for options like “App settings,” “Permissions,” or “Account.” Locate the setting for contact access and turn it off. This will prevent the app from accessing new contacts you add, even if you’ve already granted the broad permission.
Remove App Account
If revoking permissions does not remove the app’s access to your previous contacts, you may need to delete your account and app data entirely. Within the app, find options like “Delete account” or “Remove account.” Follow the prompts to delete your account, which will erase your data and logout of the app.
Uninstall App (If Necessary)
As a last resort, you may need to uninstall the loan app from your device. Go to your list of apps and tap “Uninstall” or “Delete” next to the app name. All data, accounts, and permissions associated with that app will be removed from your phone. Your contact information will no longer be accessible to that lender.
By methodically revoking permissions, updating settings, removing accounts, and uninstalling apps as needed, you can ensure predatory lenders no longer have access to your personal contact data. Be vigilant and regularly check the permissions of any apps that handle sensitive information. Protecting your privacy is worth the effort.
READ ALSO: A Guide to VA Home Loan: Benefits, Terms, and Application Process
Conclusion
Your contacts and personal information are valuable, so take steps to protect them. Removing your data from predatory loan apps in Nigeria is one way to do that. Follow the steps outlined to delete your contact lists from each app and prevent them from accessing new contacts you add to your device. While it can be a tedious process, protecting your privacy and your friends’ information is worth the effort. Stay vigilant – new apps are appearing in Nigeria’s loan app market regularly. Check any new finance apps before providing access to your contacts and only use reputable services that have strong privacy policies in place and obtain your consent before sharing data. Take control of your digital footprint and safeguard one of your most valuable assets – your network of close contacts.
