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Misleading or Overly Embellished Claims
Here, we’re dealing with sensitive information, such as GPS coordinates, that end up in the hands of data brokers like Datastream Group. Naturally, when you ask individuals if they were aware that their favorite apps were tracking them, the overwhelming response is no. Given the misleading reassurances displayed on download pages, this is hardly surprising.
On the App Store and PlayStore, developers are required to complete a form detailing what data they collect and how it is used. In theory, this should help users make informed decisions. In reality, these disclosures are often deceptive.
Take Flightradar24, an app you may know that tracks flights in real time. Its Play Store description claims it does not collect or share any personal data. Yet, the file analyzed by Le Monde found thousands of GPS coordinates from this very app. This is not an isolated incident: other free games and utility apps (document readers, battery managers, etc.) are doing exactly the same thing. The investigation shows that 33% of the apps reviewed on the Play Store claim they collect no data, yet they appear in the data brokers’ files.
On the App Store, the issue is somewhat less pronounced, but it still exists. Amerigo File Manager, for example, claims to only gather “basic data,” yet precise GPS coordinates from the app were found in the studied sample.
Apple and Google’s Lax Oversight
When questioned about these issues, Apple states it takes action against “bad actors” and notes that it rejected 375,000 app submissions in 2023 for failing to adhere to its privacy policy. Google, on the other hand, did not respond. But fundamentally, neither company is legally obligated to verify the accuracy of developers’ statements. As an expert from CNIL explains, the issue is more about ethics than a genuine regulatory offense.
As long as no regulation requires it, Apple and Google are unlikely to rigorously check the practices of the millions of apps on their stores. The best approach is to remain skeptical of the grand privacy promises displayed all around.