Have you ever read the Privacy Policies that you accept when you open any of your applications? Surely not, because if we did, no one would use these applications. Cybersecurity experts warn of a violation of digital privacy by applications to users of Android devices. According to a study by the portal Which along with the security company Hexiosec, 20 popular and everyday applications have been analyzed in search of potentially dangerous permissions. The results have been alarming, as the data we are providing to the applications ranges from accessing data from our mobile devices, to our real-time location, even the use of the microphone in the background.
This digital surveillance has been detected to a greater extent in apps like Xiaomi Home, followed by Samsung SmartThings, Facebook, and WhatsApp. According to Harry Rose, the editor of Which, we are making a ‘free’ use of these applications, but we are paying with our privacy. The applications currently under scrutiny are TikTok, which asks for explicit permission to record audio and access device files, and Temu, which not only bombards users with advertising emails but also requests their exact location. Companies like Amazon or those belonging to MetaPlatforms claim that they do not use the camera or microphone in the background, and that their function depends solely on user interaction.
Cybersecurity threat for Android users
Do you think you have control over the data you provide to companies when you use applications on your mobile phone? Cybersecurity experts warn that Android users do not really understand the extent of the permissions they accept when using many of the most popular applications on the market. This is why the portal Which, along with the security company Hexiosec, has conducted a study on the 20 most popular apps, including everything from social networks to home applications. The results have been tremendously alarming, revealing that the permissions accessed are highly dangerous and expose users without them being aware.
What are the results of the study?
The editor of Which, Harry Rose, has stated that the price being paid to use these applications is excessively high. It is not about the figures, but about the privacy of users. He declared, “Millions of us use these apps every day for everything from keeping fit to shopping online. Although many seem free, our research shows that users are actually paying with their data, and sometimes in alarming amounts.” In a ranking of permissions, the app that tops the list is Xiaomi Home, with 91 permissions, including access to the microphone, files, location, and contacts. It is followed by Samsung SmartThings, with 82 permissions, Facebook with 69, and WhatsApp with 66.
The most dangerous apps
According to research, there are 2 apps that are under the spotlight of investigators due to the type of permissions they request from users, which have nothing to do with the performance of their function. On one hand, there is TikTok, which asks for access to record audio and access the phone’s files. What purpose does the app want to have that access?
According to the company, they are essential for the app’s operation, and both user privacy and security are guaranteed, something that has not convinced consumers. The other application that has drawn attention is Temu. Who hasn’t received hundreds of unwanted advertising emails from this brand? According to the company, the exact location permissions they request are necessary to complete addresses with GPS.
What do the investigated companies say?
All companies guarantee that the permissions they request are necessary for the optimal functioning of their applications, although many of them are extremely suspicious. In the case of Amazon, it claims that access to the camera is justified by its product scanning feature, while Meta asserts that “none of its apps use the microphone in the background or access it without the user’s participation”.