Quote:Every time you grant an app permission to access your contacts or listen to your microphone, you’re giving the app developer carte blanche to do what they like with the data. Some of them might share it with another firm. Others might not. But they’re definitely collating all the data points to build a comprehensive digital profile so you’re more likely to click on an ad or spend more time in the app itself.
Researchers at the University of Oxford analyzed almost a million apps in the Google Play store across the U.S. and the UK. Their findings might (or might not) surprise you: Over 90% of apps were set up to track and relay information back to Google. The apps also shared user data with a median of 10 third parties, while nearly one in five apps distributed data to more than 20 entities.