2/3 of Android Apps Use Private Data Suspiciously

[Marcus Yam]

Even if you authorize your new app to access your data, do you know what it is doing with it?

2/3 of Android Apps Use Private Data Suspiciously : Read more

 

[Onus]

What do you mean, their findings were surprising??? That data would be provided to advertisers is absolutely no surprise.
The surprise may be on them though; pop-up and other intrusive advertising is one of my guides on what NOT to buy. If I need the class of product, I'll specifically look elsewhere for it.

 

[L0tus]

Is the culprit here Android or the software developers?

I suspect the latter.

 

[L0tus]

Article makes it sound like Android is at fault here.
(terribly sorry for the double post...can't edit)

 

[Onus]

As much as I hate the increasing online focus of advertising, I'm not sure there's truly a "culprit" here; unless someone is lying, no one's rights are being violated (i.e. there's no fraud or deception going on, just a lack of full disclosure along with general consumer ignorance and/or apathy). Google's business model is apparently based on advertising, so it would be unreasonable to expect that a Google-developed system would not cater to that model.

 

[Guest]

When users choose a "free" ad-supported application over paying $2.99 for the premium ad-free version, it is to be expected that information will be sent to online advertisers. That's the "price" they are choosing to pay.

 

[getreal]

LOL, I love the excuse train! Clearly not Android's fault that it doesn't have any kind of checks to prevent this crap, LOL. WHAT A JOKE! You trash Apple for its strict policies, but it is those same policies that prevent this nonsense.

Just goes to show that "free" isn't really free and how flawed an "open market" really is.

 

[Guest]

I only install apps that do not read personal info, unfortunately many apps don't tell you before install. I check the app settings immediately after install, if personal info is read, I uninstall the app. Needless to say I do not have many apps installed.

 

[rantoc]

Privacy surely are beginning to be a really exclusive right, not a human right as it should be. The privacy is shrinking on a daily basis!

 

[Miharu]

getreal: Clearly not Android's fault that it doesn't have any kind of checks to prevent this crap, LOL. WHAT A JOKE! You trash Apple for its strict policies.

Android lack a bit of policies... but Apple totaly kill the system doing a so CLOSED MIND policies.

The fact is.. Apple strict policies just HELP Apple to control "the thing you have paid for" for being paid for more service.

getreal: Just goes to show that "free" isn't really free and how flawed an "open market" really is.

Totaly! and I feel bad people think Apple use better your "Private Data". They just doesn't need those information because they have it already.

 

[dna_dc]

Getreal, I wouldn't let Apple off the hook. The reason this study was done on Android and not the iPhone is because Apple wouldn't allowed the iPhone equivalent of "TaintDroid" to be loaded on its device.

So yeah... At least Android creates the opportunity to be transparency... on the other hand, Apple hopes that its advertising and fanboys will make people believe that their information is safe...

 

[reddragon72]

First and foremost this has been an internet issue for almost two whole decades. Browsers have always been at the mercy of the site the person visits and that sites cookie and other relevant "app" "add-in" also does the same thing. So this is about the same as writing on one of those cards in the mall to "win" a car. Your info gets plastered everywhere and to every advertising agency in the world and that is real name addy and phone number.

Secondly, the last time I looked you don't have to download an app, and you don't have to share info. There is a location switch that you can change that will set your privacy so they cannot locate you geographically. As for the SIM info being taken... what are they going to do with it? Nothing, unless they work for your phone company. And in that case it would net them nothing of value.

My phone and the apps on it are the last thing I worry about when it comes to info theft. Friends giving out your info and phone numbers to places for "rewards" or your own power/TV/phone/gas/water company can do the same thing and they worry me more.

I think it is safe to say that at this point there is nothing major to worry about and Google has it's finger on the remove button, as they have exercised this once already, and the "openness" of Android is still better then having someone tell me what I can and cannot have in my life. Plus I foresee Google implementing a lock down feature in the phone to stop apps from using private data at the expense of breaking the app. But for now, I have bigger things to worry about then an app taking me sim cards serial number.

 

[milktea]

I try NOT to download Apps that would access my Private Data. Especially when GAMES request sensitive data, you know something is fishy.

I only wish there could be a software firewall for Android phones.

 

[i7Rocks]

[citation][nom]getreal[/nom]LOL, I love the excuse train! Clearly not Android's fault that it doesn't have any kind of checks to prevent this crap, LOL. WHAT A JOKE! You trash Apple for its strict policies, but it is those same policies that prevent this nonsense.Just goes to show that "free" isn't really free and how flawed an "open market" really is.[/citation]

So you would prefer a world where a higher power dictates everything you do instead of one that gives you the freedom of choice?? I feel bad for you, just because some devs will abuse the system doesn't mean having an open system is the problem, its called responsability.

 

[formin]

an open platform means open development. Devs are going to try every possible way to make a little extra money from their software. Ads and stat collecting are an easy way to make a bit of doe. Its almost the price we have to pay for free apps. Even freeware has a creation cost.

And the whole privacy thing is blown out of the water abit. You obviously have to be careful but the top apps probably just do a bit of stat gathering and advertising. If there was an actually security problem it would be quite a big deal.
Sending location data is usually for target advertising. This is done automatically on Desktop computers as u can tell location of the PC by its ip address. They arent tracking and saving your movements, they just use your general location to find ads for businesses in your area.
Sending unique phone ids is more for stats gathering also. They can tell which phone and company u have but they cant find out who you are. The phone maker has a record of which distributor/carrier they sold it to then that distributor will have a record of u. So there are quite a few unlinked steps to put id to name its more for how many people have which phone on which carrier.

 

[obiown77]

GOOGLE = C.I.A

 

[Guest]

@Smochina

i presume you dont just surf the internet and download random apps, or maybe you do, i guess being protected by apples app store shields you from all that......

apps are like software, you first confirm you have need for said software, then you identify prime candidate based upon recommendation from reliable sources, then you obtain software from a reliable place

im probably going get alot of flak for this, but stupid people have no rights to own a smartphone, if you have no idea what your going do with your smartphone other then to surf the internet then you dont need a damn smartphone

 

[back_by_demand]

So no-one thinks this is spooky?
It's perfectly OK for these apps to send personal information without your consent or knowledge to some random server down the other end of the internet.
And that's OK?
So because the Apps are running on Android and are Open Source that makes it OK does it?

WAKE UP!

Google has fostered an environment where this kind of abuse is encouraged and their own sinister information gathering methods are just as bad. Since when was Google Street View "accidentally" gathering SSID's from Wifi signals along the route? In order to have done that you need to deliberately load the equipment in the car and set it off.

Open your eyes and realise that Google have mesmerised the population using 2 words - "Open Source" - and as long as they keep banging it out we will blindly tell a Corporation information we would have a civil war over to keep away from a Government.

 

[Vladislaus]

[citation][nom]getreal[/nom]LOL, I love the excuse train! Clearly not Android's fault that it doesn't have any kind of checks to prevent this crap, LOL. WHAT A JOKE! You trash Apple for its strict policies, but it is those same policies that prevent this nonsense.[/citation]
You do know that the OS warns people what the app will access prior to installing it. If people installed it was because they didn't had a problem with those terms and accepted it. If people choose to ignore the obvious warning then it's their fault for being stupid.
[citation][nom]getreal[/nom]Just goes to show that "free" isn't really free and how flawed an "open market" really is.[/citation]
Yep, linux isn't really free, nor is openoffice, firefox,... must I go on? In fact your precious Mac OS X and iPhone OS are based on free software (Unix), as is Safari (KHTML).

 

[jhansonxi]

[citation][nom]back_by_demand[/nom]So because the Apps are running on Android and are Open Source that makes it OK does it?[/citation]The platform is open source but the apps are not necessarily so. Reverse engineering a closed-source app to see if it is spyware is a lot more difficult then reviewing the code of an open-source application. Verifying an open source application means compiling it and then comparing the checksums of the one you compiled against the one in the app store to verify they are the same.

But you already knew all this since you're just another troll.