According to mobile phone recyclers, resetting a cell phone is not enough to prevent the stored data from being hacked.
The Managing Director of Bozowi said: "Consumers should know that with factory resets, only the paths to the stored data are deleted; the actual data is still there on the flash chip. Forensic data software can restore these paths to gain access to the deleted data."
Phone recyclers are worried that this could damage the reputation of the electrical recycling industry, as users will be reluctant to recycle their phones.
According to previous research, 65% of cell phone customers fear that their data could be misused by new owners; hackers with free access to a data recovery app can easily recover data from a phone, causing problems for the original owner.
The recycling industry cannot afford to lose an outlet such as phone recycling; therefore, the pressure is on the recyclers to come up with a solution to this problem.
The crux of the matter is that you can still recycle your phone, but you should make certain the company offers permanent data removal services before you hand over your cell phone for recycling. This way, your phone is unlikely to be compromised.