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Do any popular Western apps collect the same range of data? I won't install the Facebook app because I don't really trust it. Wouldn't be surprised if they were

Do any popular Western apps collect the same range of data? I won't install the Facebook app because I don't really trust it. Wouldn't be surprised if they were suggesting friends based on Wi-Fi access points we're both nearby.

mjolk 10y ago
Oh my, yes, and entire verticals exist to close the loop on what you did when the app couldn't connect in the background for whatever reason (e.g. combining wifi points, other sensor data, and retransmitting when back online and comparing to credit card activity or customer data from participating businesses). This article is a bit anti-facebook/what-if 101, but may give you some things to look into if you're interested: http://www.salimvirani.com/facebook/ http://www.salimvirani.com/facebook/
wjossey 10y ago
Yeah. Sorry to tell you, but nearly every app you have installed, even if they don't have active advertisements in the app, likely has attribution software installed in their app which they used for any user acquisition. This data is then fed to ad networks who help run these campaigns, which then use this data to better hone in on ads to show you later on. It's unlikely that the app is sending anything other than "user123 installed the app", but one never knows without inspecting the packets. This data is "mostly" harmless, but I respect the fact that many users are unaware just how many companies have profiles built out about them. Not being a historian of this sort of stuff, it's my presumption this is just a modern form of what large retailers would do with loyalty programs back and store credit cards. The data was far more siloed and less likely to be leaked to third parties, but one was still being tracked none the less. Qualifications: 4+ years in ad tech.
- Markoff 10y ago
  and that's why i use network firewall (AFwall+ is the best option) for apps where network access ain't main functionality

mjolk 10y ago

Oh my, yes, and entire verticals exist to close the loop on what you did when the app couldn't connect in the background for whatever reason (e.g. combining wifi points, other sensor data, and retransmitting when back online and comparing to credit card activity or customer data from participating businesses). This article is a bit anti-facebook/what-if 101, but may give you some things to look into if you're interested: http://www.salimvirani.com/facebook/ http://www.salimvirani.com/facebook/

wjossey 10y ago

Yeah. Sorry to tell you, but nearly every app you have installed, even if they don't have active advertisements in the app, likely has attribution software installed in their app which they used for any user acquisition. This data is then fed to ad networks who help run these campaigns, which then use this data to better hone in on ads to show you later on. It's unlikely that the app is sending anything other than "user123 installed the app", but one never knows without inspecting the packets. This data is "mostly" harmless, but I respect the fact that many users are unaware just how many companies have profiles built out about them. Not being a historian of this sort of stuff, it's my presumption this is just a modern form of what large retailers would do with loyalty programs back and store credit cards. The data was far more siloed and less likely to be leaked to third parties, but one was still being tracked none the less. Qualifications: 4+ years in ad tech.

Markoff 10y ago
and that's why i use network firewall (AFwall+ is the best option) for apps where network access ain't main functionality