Most people who have cell phones like to get ring tones to help them express who they are. There are tones of all types out there, and many of them are of hit songs and classic songs that have been loved for a long time. There is nothing wrong with ring tones, but you do have to be careful where you get yours. If you aren't familiar with the company, you could be doing so much more than getting a ring tone of your favorite song to go on your phone.
You may see nothing wrong with giving up your mobile number when you want to buy a ring tone, or even get one being offered for free, because you obviously have to have the tone sent to your phone. You may notice that they are asking for a lot more information, and they don't need any of it to send you your ring tone. In this case, they are collecting data about you that they can then compile with information about others and sell to the highest bidder.
Some companies just ask for the essentials, and others want a lot of information. They can ask for address, number, email, and even your birth date. They may say this is for statistical purposes, or for you to set up an account, but you shouldn't fall for that. There are a lot of these online that you need to watch out for. You can read their privacy policy to see what they want your information for, but you will probably find it to be very vague and that it leaves you feeling confused rather than comforted. Not only will they sell your information, they will use it to try to sell you any number of other things. Watch out for this.
To avoid these problems, you should stick with getting your ring tones from those companies you know and trust. Most cell companies have their own services where you can get a wide range of ring tones, and though you may think they cost more, you should understand you are paying for your privacy as well as your ring tone. You can also get software for your computer so that you can take your own music collection and make up your own ring tones.
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