Popular Android Apps Are Still Sharing Private Information With Facebook Illegally

Facebook Illegally Receives User's Sensitive Information From Popular Android Apps

Facebook obtains sensitive user data not just via its web-based partner apps, but also from a number of well-known Android apps that have been discovered transferring data without the user's permission.

According to a survey conducted by Privacy International, around 20 of the 34 prominent smartphone applications picked for the study have been transferring data to Facebook without asking their users for permission on a regular basis.

 

TripAdvisor, Kayak, MyFitnessPal, and Skyscanner are among these applications. These applications have been transmitting sensitive information to Facebook, such as trip plans and airline information, and have even shared their users' unique Android ID.

The majority of the data given comprises analytics, which help Facebook forecast a user's movements and offer more relevant adverts based on each person's online activities. This data must be protected in order to protect a person's privacy, as it can be used to identify a person based on his or her everyday actions.

 

Potentially though the data does not contain identities, it raises ethical problems and may even be in violation of European GDPR regulations. The reason for this is that the data is being shared without the users' knowledge, and it is even assisting in the identification of persons by adding a "digital signature" that is unique to each user.

Websites and applications have been required to install rigorous privacy controls since the GDPR went into effect. Facebook's developer kit, which is given to third-party services who join the social network's partners programme, now includes a feature that requires developers to ask for permission before sending data. Some services, however, are still utilising the earlier version, which is why they were unable to take use of the functionality.

When asked about the incident, Skyscanner stated that it "wasn't aware" that it was sending data to Facebook.

In response to Privacy International's research, Facebook stated that individuals need more control over their online data and that they should be informed when a service wishes to share it with others. In the future, the social network will incorporate new tools such as Clear History to give users more control over their personal data.