Hopefully you are already well aware that a large number of free Android apps slurp up a lot of personal information about you, however you might not realize the extent of the issue. Researchers have just released a report which documents the amount of personal data that popular apps such as Uber, Tinder, Skype, Twitter, Spotify, and Snapchat gather about you, which The Inquirer linked to. These apps collect and then share your name, phone number, e-mail address, login, IP address and device ID with targeted advertisers, something that many of the apps do not make clear when you install or use them. That data can be used for some rather interesting things, such as tracking the physical location of your phone, so the next time you are installing an app on an mobile phone of any flavour you might want to consider what it may be sharing especially in light of the recently revealed Uber hack.
"In case you're wondering, yes, there's a good chance at least some of your Android apps have tracked you rather more than you expect."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- HDMI 2.1 specs promise a retina-searing 10K Dynamic HDR future @ The Inquirer
- Pro tip: You can log into macOS High Sierra as root with no password @ The Register
- You mean Google updated its smartwatch OS and nobody noticed? @ The Register
- Microsoft is killing off its Office Viewer apps next Spring @ The Inquirer
- Uber admits that 2.7 million Brits were affected by 2016 mega-hack @ The Inquirer
- Recent Blu Update Locks Users out of Their Phones @ Slashdot
- Optogenetics: A Virtual Reality System for Controlling Living Cells @ TechSpot
Color me surprised…not!
Color me surprised…not!