Dog tracker warning as cyber experts say safety apps can spy on pet owners

Prof Harper added: “We would urge anyone using these apps to take the time to ensure they are using a unique password, check the settings and ensure that they consider how much data they are sharing or willing to share.”

The results of the study were shared at the 2022 IEEE European Symposium on Security and Privacy Workshops conference.

A common way of dog owners keep tabs on their pets is by getting them microchipped. If owners do not get their pets microchipped by a trained professional, they can receive a fine of up to £500. When microchipped, dogs are given numbers which show up when scanned.

But there are a host of new apps offering brand-new ways to keep tabs on pets. For instance, Smart Snout is a platform using dogs’ noses in the same way police may use fingerprints.

Much like a human fingerprint, every dog has a distinctive pattern on its nose, along with unique nose openings, that differentiate it from any other pup. Once downloading the app (free to download but costs £4.99 annually if you want to register your dog’s details), users are asked to share some information about their dogs, like the breed and colour.

Users must then upload a picture of their dog’s nose. If it then got lost or stolen and re-found, scanning its nose would reveal its identity. Once this happens, the owner gets notified and can hopefully be reunited with their dog.

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1740442/dog-tracker-app-cyber-security-pets-study