With the Nokia 3310 set for a revival this year, what message does the increased privacy levels of the phone send to app developers?

When the remake of the Nokia 3310 was announced earlier this year, it was met with a combination of nostalgia and excitement for increased data privacy. But while many were tweeting their joy at reliving the early 2000s, some were wondering if the phone had any place in a society dominated by smartphones.

However, in our 2017 world, the revival of the unbreakable phone mirrors our own desires for security. In a society where governments are able to secretly monitor their citizens and hackers can peer through the webcams of our phones and laptops, consumers value their privacy and security. 

Do we need data protection against our televisions?

In February, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that VIZIO, one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of internet-connected "smart" televisions, has agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle charges relating to data collection on its customers. 

For more than two years, it was reported that the company had misled 11 million customers who purchased its internet-connected smart TVs, collecting "second-by-second information about video displayed on the smart TV, including video from consumer cable, broadband, set-top box, DVD, over-the-air broadcasts, and streaming devices," according to the complaint to the FTC. 

Alongside the rather invasive level of information being recorded and sold to third parties, the IP addresses of individuals were also collected, allowing anyone with the information and enough time to create a personal picture of each customer.

Which brings us back to the Nokia 3310. It's technology we all know and everyone can use. There's limited internet connectivity, bare-bone features and no use for it beyond maintaining temporary privacy. But when everything around us is now collecting data, a greater achievement will be adopting a culture of security-conscious app development.

Security is crucial for communication of all information.

The key to app success is security

Seeing the 3310 achieve the same success it did in its original incarnation is unlikely, given the increased competition by technologically superior and feature-driven smartphones. What it does show, however, is that there is demand and excitement for higher levels of security in our communications, even if this comes at the price of connectivity and accessibility to social media. 

SafeSwiss is a digital encryption solution for smartphones and computers, applying real-time military-grade encryption to all voice calls, texts and data exchanges. Our servers don't keep any record of your encryption keys, information or communications, so you're always in control of your privacy. To start using SafeSwiss, visit Google Play or the App Store today.