Telefónica's new “Aura”

Telefónica surprised everyone with a controversial and transgressive message the day before the start of the Mobile World Congress, announcing that they want to return the operator's control over our data, through a new app called Aura.

This controversial statement of intent has generated much confusion among users, who don't know how to interpret it. This new feature, dubbed the "fourth platform," will allow users to regain control of their data, which until now was under the operator's supervision.

Many of our daily activities, such as making calls, watching movies on Movistar services, or even checking our bills, generate data. With this app called Aura, we can decide whether or not to allow this data to be shared with third parties (banks, Facebook, Google, etc.) in exchange for something, such as improved service from that third party, a discount, or even a payment.

This translates into a deal between company and customer, but always read the fine print. It's not all benefits for the customer, because we're giving away our own data in exchange for something temporary. But at least it's the customer who decides whether or not they want to allow their data to be available to third parties.

How does Aura work?

It will be an app accessible from your smartphone, allowing you to check your data simply by asking questions, similar to how you use Google or Amazon voice assistants, but powered by Telefónica. Questions such as: How many devices are connected? How much data do I have left? What movies have I watched? or What are my TV series preferences? are just some of the queries you can ask with Aura.

Apen, cybersecurity specialist

When we talk about exchange of personal data We must take the terms of Privacy. In Apen, We advise you to proceed with extreme caution if you decide to allow third parties to share your personal data, as this could be a mistake that will haunt you for years to come. If you decide to allow them access to your data You need to be very clear about what benefits this decision brings you.