Popular Android apps could be sending user data to Facebook: Study

Popular Android apps could be responsible for putting users’ privacy at risk. As per the study conducted by Privacy International, 61 per cent Android apps were found sharing data with Facebook soon after users opened the app. The study managed to gather certain surprising results.

According to the study, those apps shared data with Facebook even before prompting users to grant them permission. What’s even more shocking is that those apps did share data with Facebook even when users did not have a Facebook account or the app logged into their phone in the first place.

A total of 34 popular Android apps were examined as part of the study. The set if information shared to Facebook by those apps included the name of the app, unique Android ID and certain app analytics.

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Flight, hotels and rental cars discovery app Kayak was found sharing personal, sensitive data with Facebook such as travel timeline flight searches, if children accompanied etc. Majority of the apps tested as part of this study are available to download for free on Google Play Store. Apart from Kayak, other apps studied include Duolingo, Spotify, Shazam and more.

Back in May, new data-protection regulations were set: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These regulations prevent apps from collecting a user’s data without permission. The outcome of the study can be seen as a direct violation of the GDPR.