Mobile Spies: Over Half of the 17,000 Most Popular Android Apps Can Spy On You
In an age where your personal data is "conveniently" stored on a device you interact with each day, privacy should be something that is taken seriously. But, we don't realize what we are carrying with us and all the sensitive data it holds.
Smartphones hold our usernames, passwords and even credit card numbers or others important information about our lives. When we install apps on our phones, we grant many of them access. But what are we granting access to? We might think we know, but are we really reading the terms anf fine print of what they have access to do on our phones?
Sources: pixabay, pixabay
A team of computer scientists published a study in Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies where they concluded some apps are secretly taking screenshots (even video) and recording what you type. Your activity is then being sent to themselves or third parties. Your passwords can be recorded as you type, before they turn into black dots.
Lead author of the paper, Elleen Pan, said "[c]oming into this project, I didn't think much about phone privacy and neither did my friends." But she has since found reason for concern as she was surprised by what was uncovered. They thought they were looking for a needle in a haystack and wouldn't find anything. But they found several needles in the end.
The study looked at over 17,000 of the most popular apps on Android. But these privacy breaches on Andoird don't mean that other phone operating systems don't have the same vulnerabilities. We're giving access to apps whether it's an Android, iOS or Windows OS. 9,000 of the over 17,000 apps had the potential to take screenshots.
There was no evidence of recorded conversations as has been alleged by some. Not a single app activated the microphone during their automate dtesting. But they did find something worse than your boring conversations being recorded. Think about it: is having your conversations accessed by others more damaging to your life than your apps or financial passwords that can be used to defraud you?
The privacy breaches in these apps is benign, say the researchers, but that doesn't mean they will stay that way. Your phone's privacy window can be exploited for profit. A trusted app can be sending a third party your zip codes, as was found in one case. Maybe you don't care about that. But another app could be sending your credit card numbers.
One case found "the app took video of the screen activity and sent that information to a third party". The GoPuff food delivery app sent the data to a data-analytics firm called Appsee. No nefarious activity was detected. Developers often take user information to help them debug issues or improve user experience. This doesn't mean a malicious app wouldn't use the privacy access to to steal information and profit form it.
The microphone or the camera aren't the areas to be concerned about. Pointless picture or conversations aren't that damaging. The spying that was uncovered is potentially more damaging, and there is no easy way to close this privacy opening.
Google requires developers to disclose how they are collecting and using users' information. But most people don't read the legal agreements. Accepting the policy just means that a company is shielded from a lawsuit since someone already accepted the terms of use. To close the privacy window, the researchers say phone companies would need to redesign their operating systems, which they see as unlikely to happen.
Do you have a lot of apps on your phone? Have you ever read what access you have granted them?
Thank you for your time and attention. Peace.
References:
- Panoptispy: Characterizing Audio and Video Exfiltration from Android Applications
- Is your smartphone spying on you?
- Yes, your smartphone may be spying on you – but not how you suspect
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I always say if it's free - you're info is the payment - and its stated or at least implied in the TOS - thanks for spreading awareness. People need to learn how to be more suspicious of the apps they use and be proactive about protecting their data.
Quite true. They love our data; in exchange for a free app they get 50x the money we would’ve spent on it by selling our info.
yes, they should be more weary of what they are accepting :/
This is exactly why I don't do apps. Not even the grocery store ones. I will go ahead and pay the non sale price, thank you. They are all doing it. When I looked into streaming about a year and a half ago, I finally settled for Roku, as it was the only device I could find that didn't insist I have a microphone in the remote. I can't believe so many people don't care that devices are listening to them in their homes 24/7.
Well you can get the flyer for the grocery in paper, or online, without an app. I can at least ;)
There are some stores now trying to force apps to get the "online" coupons. I noticed it before I left Tucson, and the store right next to me is wanting it now too.
I'm actually surprised that most people don't understand the simple fact that nothing is free. Nothing.
Those so-called free apps aren't free either. They take your private information, daily activity, interests, and a lot of other things and then sell that information to the big daddies of the consumer world so they can show you ads containing products that will be almost irresistible for you to buy.
Yup, everything is being mined, and ads are being targeted at us base don data being collected. Great video.
The thing about the spying is that it is not to catch criminals as they like to tell us. We The People are not really the target here though we are.
The truth however is that the spying is to blackmail those who work in the Agencies : to force them to commit criminal acts. Thus when they meaning those who are being blackmailed figure this out, I hope they stop putting up with what they should not up with put.
You have to agree to be a slave. If you don't agree to it they can't make you. The first thing they will need to do is gather the evidence that blackmail is what it is for and than start putting the blackmailers in jail along with all those who built the system and are complicit.
I've heard of this tactic before. get them to participate in orgies or whatnot to become part of the elite group or fit in, and then blackmail them with exposure if they don't play ball.
oh, it's a reason of my worries for along time..
I've read much about this theme, and your post gives great info too.
There is even data that not only smartphones but also cameras on our notebooks are hidden spies, even when they're not active.
People say Mark Zuckerberg stick some paper on his cameras all the time not to be under the control...
do you think it's the truth?
The cameras are there, but someone would need access to your computer to turn it on. Unless there's a root kit or worm allowing access, I don't think there are automated activation and recording, but I don't know. Anything is possible.
I have NO idea what might be found on my phone. I use my phone to make calls and occasionally to send/receive a text or two. I have never downloaded an app... I'm sure there are apps that were resident on there from the factory, but I have never opened any of that stuff... but whether there's something passively recording my calls to renew my prescriptions or ask my wife if we need anything from the market... that I could not answer.
I'm watching you right now :P I think you're pretty ok, not having dled any apps hehe.
This didn’t happen to be related to the chrome comment I made would it? Lol. I severely limit the apps on my phone; I only have what’s interesting to me or useful and I delete the rest. It was great deleting the fakebook app and other social media now that I have Steemit.
No, just news ;)
I don't have many apps either. I don't use my phone much, I'm a oldschool desktop guy ;)
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very many apps in the world, i just know from you, the app can also parse us. thank you for this information.
Thank you for this article which was really interesting. Because our world is more and more into digital, each of us shares more information into those mobile apps. That's why Dapps and other platforms based on the Blockchain technology is going to change everything.