Skip to main content

Yes or no, Android phones keep tracking users even without permission

According to researchers at the Trinity College in Dublin, there is no way to opt-out of the data tracking from these system apps, unless users decide to root their devices as these apps are usually packaged into the read-only memory (ROM). HIGHLIGHTSResearchers have found that some Android devices have system apps that come preinstalled with Android devices that track user data and share it with the OS.They also found that such system apps, even if they are not opened, will track data and will also share it with third-party apps.The researchers studied popular proprietary variants of the Android OS developed by Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei and Realme.Owning an Android phone could mean that your data is being tracked even if you do not give permission to the device to do so. Researchers have found that some Android devices have system apps that come pre-installed with Android device or bloatware, that comes right out of the box, sends back user data to the OS’s developers and various third parties. These system apps could serve some functionality like the camera or messages app but would send data to their OS even if the user never opened them.

According to researchers at the Trinity College in Dublin, there is no way to opt-out of the data tracking from these system apps, unless users decide to root their devices as these apps are usually packaged into the read-only memory (ROM).The researchers studied popular proprietary variants of the Android OS developed by Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei and Realme. They also reported on the data shared by the LineageOS and /e/OS open-source variants of Android. The researchers noted that Samsung has the largest share of this market, followed by Xiaomi, Huawei and Oppo which is the parent company of Realme).“System apps cannot be deleted (they are installed on a protected read-only disk partition) and can be granted enhanced rights/permissions not available to ordinary apps such as those that a user might install. It is common for Android to include pre-installed third-party system apps, i.e. apps not written by the OS developer,” the research paper noted. “One example is the so-called GApps package of Google apps (which includes Google Play Services, Google Play Store, Google Maps, Youtube etc). Other examples include pre-installed system apps from Microsoft, LinkedIn, Facebook and so on,” it adds.Reported first by Gizmodo, the researchers noted that the system apps would send something called the “telemetry data,” which includes details like the user device’s unique identifier, and the number of apps from the company of a pre-installed app that you have installed on your phone. The data also gets shared by third-party apps or analytics providers that users might have plugged in.Meanwhile, Apple has released a 31-page-long document titled “Building a Trusted Ecosystem for Millions of Apps (A threat analysis of sideloading)”, where it has talked about various aspects of iOS and its closed ecosystem criticising EU’s draft proposal forcing apple to allow users to download third-party apps. “Supporting sideloading through direct downloads and third-party app stores would cripple the privacy and security protections that have made iPhone so secure, and expose users to serious security risks,” Apple said to support its defensive stance against the argument that iOS should be made open like Android. Apple is citing reports from regulators from around the world to show the shortcomings of Android because of its open nature.Click here for our site’s complete coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Siddhant will be questioned about the data received from CCTV mobile, asked to appear within 7 days

The Bangalore Police has issued summons to Bollywood actress Shraddha Kapoor’s brother and Shakti Kapoor’s son Siddhant Kapoor for taking drugs. According to media reports, the summon has been issued on Tuesday and within 7 days, Siddhant is to appear before the Investigative Officer of Bangalore Police. The police want to interrogate him about the verification of CCTV footage as well as the data taken from his mobile. What is the whole matter? Inquiry is going on into the case of taking drugs from Siddhant. Last month, his blood test came positive along with four others at a party. A total of 35 people attended the party. Everyone’s blood test was done. Tests of five people, including Siddhant, indicated that they had taken drugs. Siddhant has also been arrested in this case. He is on bail now. According to media reports, Siddhant had told the police that one man had given him a drink and another had given him a cigarette. They don’t know how the drugs got into ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bollywood Wrap: ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ got off to a great start, Taapsee Pannu attacks Karan Johar

Bollywood Wrap: B-Town buffs are eagerly waiting for every update on the personal and professional life of their favorite stars. He is always desperate to catch a glimpse of his stars. Keeping a close eye on B-Town is also important because something new is happening here every moment. So let us tell you what is happening in the world of stars today. Let’s know the 5 big news of the day today from the world of entertainment … Koffee With Karan 7 Karan Johar’s chat show ‘Koffee With Karan 7’ is constantly making headlines. But in the meantime, Taapsee Pannu has also taken a jibe at Karan’s show. Taapsee Pannu’s film ‘Dobaara’ is going to release soon. For which the actress is also promoting fiercely. During the promotion, the actress questioned about Karan’s show. Taapsee Pannu on not being invited to ‘Koffee With Karan 7’ says her sex life is not interesting enough to be invited to ‘Koffee with Karan’. T...
Post a Comment
Read more

Aamir Khan and Randeep Hooda have won medals in chess

There is a hidden talent inside everyone. There is no limit to this skill and there is no age. There are many such examples in Bollywood too, and knowing which one would be blown away. From Aamir Khan to Salman Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, there are many such actors, who would have been earning a name in some other field if they were not in acting today. In WoW Wednesday, we are going to tell you about 10 such actors and their hidden skills. 1. Amir Khan is a chess player Aamir Khan is called ‘Mr. Perfectionist’. Aamir has got this tag because of the way he chooses films and the level of hard work he puts in for the characters. But do you know that Aamir Khan is also a good chess player? Or rather, he is a Chess Master. Aamir Khan has also played a charity match chess with Grand Master and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand. Amir played chess with Viswanathan Anand in the third edition of the Maharashtra Chess League in 2015. Aamir told me in an interview that he loves...
Post a Comment
Read more