I'm glad WSJ followed up on their previous Onavo-Facebook story[1], but they didn't go far enough. They still didn't investigate the claims in many app store re

I'm glad WSJ followed up on their previous Onavo-Facebook story[1], but they didn't go far enough. They still didn't investigate the claims in many app store reviews of deceptive marketing that gets people to install this in the first place, i.e. "Your phone is infected by a virus, install this now!!" And yes, probably those ads can't be directly traced to Onavo/Facebook, but it's a free app with no affiliate commissions so they're only one with an incentive. > A Facebook spokesman said it is clear when people download Onavo what information it collects and how it is used. “Websites and apps have used market-research services for years,” the spokesman said... This is such a bullshit, disingenuous statement. It is not at all clear how Onavo uses your information. They have just one line in their description: "Onavo receives and analyzes information about your mobile data and app use." Here's why this is deceptive: 1. It is buried. It is the last line, below the "more..." fold so most users don't see it. Something this privacy-invasive should have a prominent, clear disclaimer at the top. 2. It is misleading. Even for the users that see it, they make no mention of using your data for market research. They prominently advertise a feature that reports on your overall data usage -- to you, the user. So this statement is just vague enough to imply that's what they're doing, without setting off alarm that they're spying on your every move for their own purposes. And then they have the nerve to equate it with "market-research services" that everyone uses.. no big deal.. move along, nothing to see here.. What baloney. Typical market-research services do not involve spyware that you trick people into installing. Participants are supposed to know exactly what they're participating in. That is clearly not the case with this deceptive, exploitive app. [1] Some previous discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14970877 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14970877