November 16, 2016.
According to a study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of California at San Diego, United States, the bacteria on our smartphones say a lot about our privacy.
Bacteria that say a lot about our way of life
No one will be surprised, the screens of our cell phones are dirty, very dirty. According to a study published in the journal of the American Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the bacteria present on our screens can give information on our state of health but also on the cosmetic products that we use, the places we visit or the foods we eat.
39 people agreed to subject their smartphones to an in-depth analysis: the researchers swabbed cotton swabs on four areas of the phone and eight places on the participants’ right hands. Results : these analyzes made it possible to know if the owner of the phone was a man or a woman, whether he was on medication, or whether he preferred beer or wine.
Information that can be used in an investigation
This research opens up new avenues, particularly in the context of police investigations. Scientific police will be able to know if the owner of the phone dyes his hair, if he likes spicy foods, if he is treated for depression or if he wears sunglasses. ” This is the kind of information that can help an investigator narrow down his research. », Explains Amina Bouslimani who took part in the work.
This information remains clues but can in no way allow a precise identification of a person, as is the case with fingerprints. However, another avenue is being considered by the researchers: patient follow-up in the event of treatment. But for that, they would have to accept such an inspection. Perhaps they will see it as an invasion of their privacy …
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