McAfee security software creator thinks Pokemon Go is the least of your worries

THE creator of McAfee security software thinks Pokemon Go is the least of your worries in terms of apps having access to your private information.

Pokemon Go is the least of your worries, says McAfee.

IT WAS revealed during the Pokemon Go mania last week that downloading the app gave the developers full access to your email, among other things.

The problem was the developers made people hand over “full access” to their Google accounts in order to play the mobile game.

While troubling, cyber security expert John McAfee has issued a friendly reminder that Pokemon Go should be the least of users’ worries.

“Wake up. Over 50 million users have granted apps permission to make phone calls from your phone, without your approval or knowledge, for which you may have to pay,” McAfee toldBusiness Insider.

“To my knowledge, there is not a single major smartphone supplier in the world that does not pre-load malware on their phones.”

The founder of McAfee security software said he considered apps asking for permissions they don’t need to be malware.

“Malware is anything that spies on you, that digs into your life, and finds out who your friends are,” he said.

“What are they doing with that [data]? Are they selling it to the Russians, the Chinese? We do not know.”

Pokemon Go’s developer has since changed the settings, but Mr McAfee admits the problem is far more widespread.

“Why pick on Pokemon Go when a quarter of a million apps have been doing this for years,” he said.

“I defy anyone to tell me that their phone does not already make calls without your knowledge, read your text messages, change your Wi-Fi connectivity, read your emails, read your contacts and everything else.”

With Google and Apple allowing users to see the permissions granted to apps, it could be a good time to examine the settings of your phone.