Popular Android Apps That Gather The Most Personal Data

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When you install apps on your Android smartphone or tablet, they ask for permission to access data, microphone, camera, text messages and what not. Without giving such permissions, the app won’t function, and if you really need the app, then you will need to give such permissions. The problem is that sometimes apps try to get unnecessary permissions. Installing such apps are a serious privacy concern.

Think about it that why would Happy Fish, a kids game requires so many permissions, and why would the game want to collect all thisinformation about you? The game wants to know your location, reads text messages, get access to photos, and it can even know which WiFi you are using.

Vocativ has gathered information on a number of popular Android apps, along with the permissions that they require, and they are calling the list “a barometer of what app makers think they can get away with.”

Which android apps gather the most data from you

Vocativ specifically looked at the number of permissions the app requires, along with access to contacts, text messages, microphone and call logs. Of interest is that popular apps such as Skype, Facebook and WhatsApp require so many different permissions. “There are actually about 60 permissions that these apps can ask for—everything from making your phone vibrate to accessing your camera.”

Imagine an app that’s secretly spying on you, using your camera, or recording the audio without you even knowing about it. For now, apps like Skype only use the microphone when you tell them to, but in the future this might change. Facebook earlier created a very controversial situation by its requests to use the microphone.

Be alert, stay safe

Android users should pay close attention to the permission page that pops up before the app is installed. The app will explain what permissions it needs, and you should take a close look and then only “Accept” those permissions. What typically happens is that many users don’t bother to look at all the permissions and just hurriedly accept all permissions. You’ve got to be alert when you first install the app, because the app won’t ask for permission again when it is accessing your personal data.

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