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QUESTION

How long does a picture sent out from your phone last in your phone records where they are available to still be viewed?

ANSWER

The answer is that it depends on your mobile carrier (AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, etc.) and, in some cases, it also depends on the cell phone manufacturer (Apple, LG, RIM, etc.). Ask your carrier how long they keep multimedia files sent using their service and whether you have a choice to delete them faster. Ask the carrier who they might share it with (legally). Ask the manufacturer if they have created any features that store the images locally where you might not see them. See the end of this column for links to support from mobile carriers and cell phone manufacturers.

If you’re worried about that picture staying in your phone records, you should also be worried about where it goes after it leaves your phone. Every image and message sent using your cell phone has a long list of witnesses:

  1. You and others who can access your phone
  2. The cell phone carrier and anyone they share it with
  3. The person who received it and anyone who accessed their phone
  4. Anyone who received a forward from the original recipient
  5. If it was saved or posted somewhere, anyone who saw the post, saved or printed the posted photo out
  6. Anyone who is spying on your cell communications (there are software and companies that are designed to do that)
  7. Anyone with whom any of the above people shared the image, and so on and so forth...

Like the Energizer bunny, the pic you never want anyone to see keeps going and going, and...The time to think about this is BEFORE, not after you take and send them.

This information is provided by Parry Aftab, Executive Director of WiredSafety.org & Stopcyberbullying.org

Access Support:

Mobile Carriers

Cell Phone Manufacturers

 

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