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In the United States, 80% of applications collect data on user messages

A recent study by TechShieldertitled ” Hackers’ hotspots: Apps most vulnerable to cybercrime ”, Shows that applications collect a lot of data about their users.

What data do apps collect about users?

The study indicates that 60% of the world’s most used mobile applications store information from users’ private conversations. 80% of them collect data on the messages you send or receive. Finally, all applications accumulate basic user information, such as phone numbers or email addresses. This study was conducted in the United States, where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) does not apply.

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Unsurprisingly, the apps that collect the most data about their users are the most popular social networks. In order we therefore find: Facebook and Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Twitter, YouTube, Netflix, Twitch or Telegram. note that TikTok does not appear in this ranking. The analysis of TechShielder it also shows that almost all applications ” store sensitive information that users may not be aware of “.

This is for example the case with cookies. These files contain user browsing data, such as login information, which can be useful for logging into your account if you forget your password, but also keep track of your online habits. For simplicity : applications know your user profile. These data allow you to have a precise idea of ​​a person’s online life and to know exactly what he is doing on his device.

Unsurprisingly, people start questioning their online safety. Especially since the study reveals that 100% of all mobile applications considered in the survey share the data they collect with third parties. The data is therefore vulnerable and risk being caught by cybercriminals. According to the study, 60% of apps also store data on user-created content, and more worryingly: 50% of the apps analyzed have access to photos and videos posted by users.

In France, the National Commission for Informatics and Freedoms (CNIL) will launch a study on geolocation data collected by mobile applications. This survey aims at raise awareness of issues relating to personal data. If this investigation does not serve as a control procedure or sanction, the CNIL ” will verify GDPR compliance of commercial prospecting professionals, particularly those who resell data, including the many intermediaries in this ecosystem “.

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