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New Study Claims Data Harvesting Among Android Apps Is 'Out of Control' (techspot.com)
A new study from Oxford University revealed that almost 90 percent of free apps on the Google Play store share data with Alphabet. "The researchers, who analyzed 959,000 apps from the U.S. and UK Google Play stores, said data harvesting and sharing by mobile apps was now 'out of control,'" reports TechSpot. "'We find that most apps contain third party tracking, and the distribution of trackers is long-tailed with several highly dominant trackers accounting for a large portion of the coverage,' reads the report." From the report: It's revealed that most of the apps, 88.4 percent, could share data with companies owned by Google parent Alphabet. Next came a firm that's no stranger to data sharing controversies, Facebook (42.5 percent), followed by Twitter (33.8 percent), Verizon (26.27 percent), Microsoft (22.75 percent), and Amazon (17.91 percent). [I]nformation shared by these third-party apps can include age, gender, location, and information about a user's other installed apps. The data "enables construction of detailed profiles about individuals, which could include inferences about shopping habits, socio-economic class or likely political opinions."
Big firms then use the data for a variety of purposes, such as credit scoring and for targeting political messages, but its main use is often ad targeting. Not surprising, given that revenue from online advertising is now over $59 billion per year. According to the research, the average app transfers data to five tracker companies, which pass the data on to larger firms. The biggest culprits are news apps and those aimed at children, both of which tend to have the most third-party trackers associated with them.
Big firms then use the data for a variety of purposes, such as credit scoring and for targeting political messages, but its main use is often ad targeting. Not surprising, given that revenue from online advertising is now over $59 billion per year. According to the research, the average app transfers data to five tracker companies, which pass the data on to larger firms. The biggest culprits are news apps and those aimed at children, both of which tend to have the most third-party trackers associated with them.
Omg, so free apps on the Google Play Store "could" share data with Google. Do you think apps on the Apple Store "could" also share data with Apple? The outrage!
Those free app developers should be ashamed of themselves!!
Nobody cares until money is taken away from them. Politicians will only do something when their money dries up.
Who would think that it would be "under control" to begin with? Android is primarily a data-gathering platform for Google. Always has been. If you're under the incorrect assumption that it's not, that's your fault.
I don't respond to AC's.
It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it.
A new study from Oxford University revealed that almost 90 percent of free apps on the Google Play store share data with Alphabet.
I don't know why this would be a surprise to anyone who uses the Google Play Store.
For 4 of the last 5 years I've gotten all my apps from F-Droid.
Then last year I installed Yalp Store, and suddenly found out a lot more about the Android ecosystem.
All you people who've been on the Google Play Store already knew the quantity of crap it contains.
The whole issue with Android is the network has no firewall, by default everything gets access to the Internet.
In permissions it says you are giving the *app* permission, but the app isn't getting permission, the *company* making the app is. The first thing they do is to send all the data you just gave permission for to the parent company's servers.
And the built in apps get a free ride. On a lot of Android devices these days there is shitload of Google spyware, Microsoft spyware, Facebook spyware, and often some Chinese spyware, all pre-installed, all waiting for you to feed in your data to be sent off to parent HQ.
I don't put my address book into my Android phone, because I've seen had it under a debugger, and seen all the grabby API calls to immediately send that data off. App's I never used, slurp slurp slurp.
And you have nothing to hide right?
You're just a person doing their job, reporting on the latest Presidential lies, no reason why your family and friends and home address should be there for sale to every kook and political operator in the USA, right? This is the USA! WHO NEEDS PRIVACY? I'm sure if some friend of Jareds, wanted to dissect a journalist, the FBI would totally be called in. Nobody would claim "arm deal means the FBI cannot investigate.... meh it was only a few fake news journalists, noone from Fox and Friends".
Do you think apps on the Apple Store "could" also share data with Apple?
No, because Apple does not collect user data, either from built in or third party apps.
There is literally no way for a third party to forward data to Apple for collection.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Analytics and ads and services.
90% of Android apps in the play store contain the text "google.com"
That's all they checked. No data was checked, no source code looked at. They searched the APK files for host names.
What's slightly more concerning is nearly half of them potentially talk to Facebook. You already have a Google account and your phone is already sending data to the Play Store. You already know Google is is collecting analytics from your app on behalf on the developer.
Why the hell do all these apps need to talk to Facebook?
On this note, perhaps Slashdot should start sharing information with themselves about what they posted yesterday.
How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
"most of the apps, 88.4 percent, COULD share data with companies owned by Google parent Alphabet ... Microsoft (22.75 percent), and Amazon (17.91 percent). [I]nformation shared by these third-party apps CAN include age ... which COULD include inferences about shopping habits, socio-economic class or likely political opinions"
Did they do a study, or just get stoned and ponder what COULD happen?
From Apple's web site:
"We may collect information such as occupation, language, zip code, area code, unique device identifier, referrer URL, location, and the time zone where an Apple product is used so that we can better understand customer behavior and improve our products, services, and ADVERTISING."
"We may collect and store details of how you use our services, including search queries. ... we may collect data about how you use your device and applications in order to help app developers improve their apps"
"Apple and its affiliates may share this personal information with each other and use it consistent with this Privacy Policy. They may also combine it with other information to provide and improve our products, services, content, and advertising."
https://www.apple.com/legal/pr...
The problem with mass surveillance, is, you assume the person watching is the good guy, and the person being watched is the bad guy and it rarely turns out to be true.
Prince bone saw is a Whatsapp friend of Jareds, Jared was the one that got Khashoggi kicked out of Saudi Arabia media after a bad Q&A at a Trump press conference. Jared is also the one Prince Bone Saw lobbied to fire Rex Tillerson. Jared lost his security clearance after and incident involving lots of CIA of Prince Bone Saws opponents, and a private visit to Saudi Arabia which was followed by a lot of visisection of said opponents.
So you wouldn't want Jared to have security clearance, and access to journalist surveillance data.
But they cannot take away Trump's security clearance. You might recall the PP memo? The one that had names of US spies in Russia in it?
And six days later a bunch of Russians are arrested for 'working for a foreign power'. Obviously, Trump immediately asked for the unredacted PP memo and passed the names over. How else did Russia suddenly have the names of foreign agents 6 days into Trumps presidency?
Welcome to the surveillance world created by General Keith Alexander.
yeah, it's not like iOS apps have ads or anything. wait a minute...
*minute passes*
Yes but not from Apple, and Apple gets no data from the ads. So your point was...
*waiting another minute*
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
We may collect information such as occupation, language, zip code, area code, unique device identifier, referrer URL, location, and the time zone where an Apple product is used so that we can better understand customer behavior and improve our products, services, and ADVERTISING."
First of all what app would have a referrer URL? Oh that's right, that is for WEBSITE DATA and we are talking about iOS APPS.
None of the rest of the stuff is data tied to the user in any way. It doesn't change the fact the third party apps have no way to send data to Apple, nor that Apple does not share what data they do collect with anyone else. Thanks for playing though!
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
It told me which app wanted to access the network, where they connected to, and the time.
Most shocking? My flashlight app, which I hadn't used in 6 months, was connecting every 30 seconds or so.
Needless to say that sucker got uninstalled ASAP, as did a handful of other apps.
Sad to say I had to uninstall the firewall, it was sucking up my battery like nobodies business. But I haven't installed any apps since then.
Google is damaging its reputation.
Allowing cell phone service providers to avoid updating Android is one way Google has been destructive.
THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR LIES KEN DOLL
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING
you get a bunch of random ad companies in your apps instead, all with varying privacy policies. great, that's so much better.
Wow I thought those goalposts seemed kind of heavy, but you managed to move them halfway across the country in no time at all!
Since the original topic just to remind you, is Apple getting third party app data... which again they do not, as you just admitted while taking about something else for some reason.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
https://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=12520486&cid=57184660 LYING NAZI FAGGOT RAY MORRIS CAUGHT DEAD spreading nazi propaganda even after debunked, get a rope.
THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR LIES KEN DOLL
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
luckily they know less about me.
THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR LIES KEN DOLL
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING..
from proprietary closed-source programs, in a proprietary environment on proprietary hardware? The fact that free software like the Linux kernel is in the mix is irrelevant -- all the other layers cannot be audited. Then because computers are scary, it is called "smart" and named a "telephone" so you think it's safe. Why any computer-savvy person would even want to be in the same room as one of these gadgets -- much less carry one, much less pay for the privilege -- beggars belief.
Apple is, of course, the greatest company in the world. So I'm sure they aren't lying when they say "we may collect data about how you use your device and applications".
Being amazing, I'm sure they aren't pulling your leg when they say in App store terms and conditions "You agree that Licensor may collect and use technical data and related informationâ"including but not limited to technical information about your device, system and application software, and peripherals".
it's only because you are the product.
It's not surprising that this is happening. Software development still costs money. The people that do it are still expecting to get rich or at least comfortably middle class. One way or another you have to bring consumers that expect software to be free, together with developers that expect to make money off the effort.
So we now find ourselves in a place where we have free as in beer software, and the developers neglect to mention it does everything short of giving you colonoscopy to collect your information.
You can either act accordingly take what steps you can to protect yourself and enjoy the bounty, or you can get your respective government to crack down on the pactices and watch deluge of free software you have now dry to a trickle.
You pays for your ticket and you takes your chances.
Call 'em out, Comrade Wang!
I never knew! Google! I TRUSTED you!
I mean, I hate ads as much as the next guy, but I still prefer ads that align with my interests or are relevant to me somehow than those that are not.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
"...data harvesting and sharing by mobile apps was now 'out of control'..."
No, apps are not "out of control". A society that gladly accepts this shit is the one out of control. Ignorance has practically begged for the destruction of privacy.
To the society that has welcomed an Orwellian future, don't bother asking what year it is anymore. It's 1984. It's always going to be 1984, because that's what you want.
because I still don't see the need for a smartphone. I'm doing well without, and permanent news like this only support my decision :(
PLEASE stop using their propaganda term "sharing". There is a reason they want you to use that term. Sharing is something universally seen as good, generous, ethical, altruistic, you name it. What they are doing is anything but altruistic.
Call it selling, stalking, tracking, recording -- ANYTHING but the propaganda term "sharing". Think of it this way: if it was your neighbor stalking and collecting data on you, and then selling it to other stalkers for profit, the last thing you would call that practice is "sharing".
It has gotten to the point where we can no longer allow carriers to put their own variants of Android on phones. I won't even buy a phone until there's a port of LineageOS for it.
PrivacyGuard is a must for any modern phone.
1) Stop using Google play.
2) Only use Fdroid and
3) vanilla stock AOSP build without Google's spyware, if you choose to use Android Linux.
GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
Just as a heads up, modding down doesn't really answer the question, although I figure that whichever mod decided to do that is probably too blinded by their own worldview to realize that by simply modding down instead of answering, they have basically admitted they would rather censor an oppositional viewpoint than try and rationally debate it.
So let's give this a head start, shall we?
The only objection I have ever seen that makes any sense about targetted ads is the argument that they can be intrusive, or get in the way of finding useful information. This could be a fair criticism, but it is actually no less true for ads that are completely untargetted... if an advertiser wants their ad to be obnoxious and annoying, they are going to do it anyways, whether the ad actually interests you or not. I dare say that any interest one may have otherwise had in an ad's content will generally be overridden entirely by how the advertiser chooses to place that ad, and whether it is actually obtrusive to what the individual who may have even otherwise been genuinely interested in that product was trying to do at the moment that ad was shown.
But again, this isn't a problem with targeting ads that are geared towards what a person's interests are, it's a problem with advertisers not realizing that this approach comes across more like nagging than advertising, which has absolutely nothing to do with whether they are trying to cater the ads to a person's interests or not.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
MsMash, this is horrendus
why are you posting tis crap
Google Navigate explicitly sends a trace of your route back to Google every time you use it... if you don't have problem with Google knowing every place you've been, why should you have a problem with them collecting other data? (Has the Google Navigate data been used against anyone in court yet?)
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
Google knows what porn you watch! Feel any different now?
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.