Have you ever had the feeling that your phone is listening to you? Well, it could get worse, and probably will.

According to industry insider, the next smartphone models might not just allow you to take selfies – the cameras will stay on even after you’re done recording.

Chipmaker Qualcomm revealed its latest Snapdragon processor, which will power many of the upper-end Android smartphones. A new feature built into the chip could allow smartphone developers to keep the phone’s front-facing cameras on all the time in a low-power mode, waiting and watching for a face to appear in front of it.

In an ironic twist, Qualcomm claims that the new feature will allow its phones to be more secure by always looking for your face even if you don’t touch it.

Over time, Qualcomm says, this chip could allow phones to automatically unlock when you look at it and lock itself again when you look away. Or it could hide notifications if it notices someone looking at the phone with you. In other words, the phone would be more secure because it will behave one way if only you are looking at it and another way if someone else is peering at its screen.

One problem that could soon arise from this new technology is unwanted unlocking of your phone. Imagine you specifically don’t want your phone to unlock while you’re talking to someone. In such a case, your phone might automatically unlock anyways, whereas a fingerprint unlock setup would be preferable.

Privacy experts say that, despite the unsettling nature of this new chip, microphones that are always listening to you and uploading recordings to the crowd should still be of greater concern to consumers.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)