Why You Should Scrutinise Every App You Install
We all know that if something is ''free'', it usually means YOU are the product. To what extent though?
This post highlights the gross intrusions big data makes into our lives and those of our children.
👹Trackers and Permissions - The Devil is in the Detail
Almost all closed-source and free apps will contain ''trackers'' and require ''permissions''. A tracker is code which collects and analyses your data and a permission is exactly what it says. By simply installing an app you consent to the data abuse it will impose on you.
Obviously, the more trackers there are the more data will be taken and the more permissions there are the greater the access to your device it has.
With that in mind, let dive deeper.
The Most Intrusive App Available?
Perfect365 - Makeup Photo Editor - Google Play Link
Tagline - ''Try on new makeup looks & filters for pictures instantly with our all-in-one face & photo editor to retouch photos & videos''
Downloads - 50+ Million
Would it be safe to say that this app's prime demographic would be young, teenage girls? Let's continue…
We can check it's intrusions with the Exodus Privacy service.
👉 Report - Link
👉 Trackers - 56
👉 Permissions - 59
Notable warning signs;
Trackers - Among the usual suspects like Facebook and Google, this app contains trackers sending data to advertisers, analytic experts, profiling companies, ID and location tracking companies along with numerous unlabelled entities.
Permissions - Exact location, full access to cameras, see all accounts on the device, full internet access, see everything on your storage and record audio, see all photos and videos.
We dive deeper;
Perfect365's Privacy Policy highlights what they collect and where they send it - Link
👉 Your username, password and email address
👉 Name, picture, phone number, gender
👉 Your photos, facial scans, comments, and other materials
👉 Information you provide to other users (when you share with friends)
👉 Payment Information
👉 The date, time, and amount of a transaction
👉 They use third-party analytics tools to help us measure traffic and usage trends the content and ads that you view or click
👉 Location Information including postcode, precise location from your mobile GPS and your location relative to and within third party merchant locations, and share such information with third parties, for purposes related to advertising
👉 Device event information such as crashes, system activity, hardware settings, browser type, browser language
👉 Data derived from facial and other detection scans
👉 Data necessary for AI-generated images or avatars
👉 Device and Usage Information such as precise geolocation data pertaining to a user’s devices which may be expressed by latitude-longitude coordinates obtained through GPS tools, WiFi data, cell tower triangulation or other techniques
👉 Predicted or actual data about a user such as age, gender, date of birth, street address; predicted or actual characteristics or interests
👉 Other information about a user’s device, such as: device type, operating system, IP address, network provider, mobile carrier, mobile browser type, other apps installed on the device, timestamp, time zone, information about the speed, bearing, orientation, and altitude of a device, or other device-identifying information.
👉 Information about the possible relationships among different devices.
👉 Data about user activities (e.g., the pages you view, the time and duration of your activities)
👉 Cookies - We allow third-party companies to collect certain information via cookies, pixels, or other similar technologies
👉 Local Storage metadata and other information associated with other files stored on your device. This may include, for example, your photographs
On how they share your data;
👉 We use a variety of third-party service providers to help us provide the Services, including business analytics, marketing, payment processing, IT, artificial intelligence, and virtual currency providers.
👉 For their SoREAL AI Application, they use neural network model Stable Diffusion powered by Stability.ai
👉 They share or disclose aggregated, usage information, geolocation information and/or device-level information (such as usage data, platform types, number of clicks, location data etc.) with unaffiliated partners and third parties (e.g. advertisers, advertising networks and platforms, agencies, other marketers, retailers, cybersecurity partners) that wish to market products or services to you
Now, ask yourself this.
Would you allow your teenage daughter or grand-daughter to use this app knowing what is written above?
Not only does the user's data get continuously harvested and sold to 3rd parties, THESE 3RD PARTIES THEN SELL IT ON FURTHER!
Following the degrees of separation rule, this data gets lost almost instantly.
Finally, hackers. The more data a company or app provider holds and sells, the greater the target on their back for hackers and scammers.
With all the talk and implementation of ''Safety Acts'' around the world in order to protect the children, isn't it ironic that big tech can invade your children's lives in this manner legally and for profit?!
Some Tools To Help
Below are some excellent tools you can use to mitigate such gross data abuse and intrusion.
👉 Aurora Store (Android Only) - Check how many trackers and permissions an app needs - Link
👉 Exodus Privacy - (Android Only but may also work for Apple apps) - See an app's privacy report and warnings - Link
👉 Exodus also provide an Android app to scan all apps on your current Android phone - Link
Reboot Privacy also offers devices which contain ZERO trackers, ZERO ads and which only minimal permissions they need to run.
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