New research released by Symantec has revealed how much personal information the top 100 apps on Google Play and iTunes collect about their users. (Spoiler: It’s a lot.)
Symantec’s latest report tackles mobile app privacy and fraudulent Google Play apps. It really drives home the importance of reading permissions before clicking on those ‘accept’ or ‘next’ buttons. For example, an Android flashlight app that has been downloaded more than 10 million times grants access to your calls, messages and camera. That’s seems like a high price to pay for a flashlight.
Remember: most app developers are out to make a buck like everyone else – if their product is free, you need to take extra care in protecting your privacy. The infographic below analyses how much personal information is being gathered by the top 100 apps on Google Play and iTunes.
Before you install an app, Symantec encourages asking a few questions: Do I know what information and permissions an app is asking? Am I comfortable sharing personal information with this app developer?Does the app really need the device permissions it is requesting?
You can check out the full infographic below.
[Via Symantec]
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.