Current Events 4-MP2

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Three quarters of Android apps track users with third party tools
Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google, based on the Linux kernel and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices. It was initially released on September 23, 2009.  There have been many devices like smartphones as well as created by Android such as Samsung Galaxy S8, Google Pixel,  Samsung Galaxy Tab A, Samsung Galaxy Tab E, etc. It is used by many people around the world. But one thing I not sure whether people know this or not is that, every three out of four Android apps track their users with third party tools. That means the if you have one of those apps that can be tracked, the creator and develops of that particular app would be able to know and have access to your location. And if that app were to get hacked by random people, then they would also know your location as well.

 In the article, "Three quarters of Android apps track users with third party tools-study", it discusses how every 3 out of 4 Android apps can track it's users. The article said the following: "More than three in four Android apps contain at least one third-party "tracker", according to a new analysis of hundreds of apps. The study by French research organisation Exodus Privacy and Yale University’s Privacy Lab analysed the mobile apps for the signatures of 25 known trackers, which use various techniques to glean personal information about users to better target them for advertisements and services. Among the apps found to be using some sort of tracking plugin were some of the most popular apps on the Google Play Store, including Tinder, Spotify, Uber and OKCupid. All four apps use a service owned by Google, called Crashlytics, that primarily tracks app crash reports, but can also provide the ability to "get insight into your users, what they’re doing, and inject live social content to delight them".

 What I find interesting this study and article is that how the apps that are mentioned are some of the most common used apps in the world, and it can track their users. Also another thing that I find interesting is the fact that, I actually am an Android user, so I would want to know what apps would be able to track their users, and see if it's a popular app, as well as know my location if I were to download the particular app.

 Link to full article:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/28/android-apps-third-party-tracker-google-privacy-security-yale-university


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