Some iOS Apps Sending an Alarming Amount of Data to Facebook and Most Users Are Unaware

[MacRumors]

It's no secret that Facebook is harvesting incredible amounts of data on all of its users (and some that don't even use the service), but what may come as a surprise is just how detailed and intimate some of that data is.

A report from The Wall Street Journal takes a look at some of the apps on iOS that provide data to Facebook, with that info then used for advertising purposes.

Instant Heart Rate: HR Monitor, for example, the most popular heart rate app on iOS, sent a user's heart rate to Facebook right after it was recorded in The Wall Street Journal's testing. Flo Period & Ovulation Tracker, which has 25 million active users, tells Facebook when a user is having a period or is intending to get pregnant.

Realtor.com, meanwhile, provides Facebook with the location and price of listings that a user viewed. With Flo in particular, it says it does not send this kind of sensitive data in its privacy policy, but then goes ahead and does so anyway.

Many of these apps are sending this data without "any prominent or specific disclosure," according to The Wall Street Journal's testing. Facebook collects data from apps even if no Facebook account is used to log in and even if the user isn't a member of Facebook.

Apps are sharing this data to take advantage of Facebook analytics tools that allow them to target their users more precisely with Facebook ads.

Apple does not require apps to disclose all of the partners that they share data with, and while certain personal information can be blocked, like contacts or location, more sensitive data, like health and fitness details, can be readily shared by these apps as there's no option to turn off this kind of data sharing.

Users can turn off Facebook's targeted advertising, but have no way to prevent apps from surreptitiously sending collected data to Facebook in the first place.

Facebook claimed that some of the data sharing The Wall Street Journal uncovered violates its business terms, and has asked these apps to stop sending information app users would consider sensitive.

The Wall Street Journal spoke to an Apple spokesperson, who said its App Store Guidelines require apps to obtain user consent for collecting data.

"When we hear of any developer violating these strict privacy terms and guidelines, we quickly investigate and, if necessary, take immediate action," the company said.

At least 11 out of the 70 apps tested by The Wall Street Journal were sending sensitive user data to Facebook, including six of the top 15 health and fitness apps. There's little end users can do, except for be wary of the apps they're choosing to download. Apple in the future could introduce more stringent guidelines and policy controls that would better put a stop to this kind of intrusive data harvesting.

The Wall Street Journal's full report, which is well worth reading, offers more detail on how it tested these apps and how some of the apps responded.

Article Link: Some iOS Apps Sending an Alarming Amount of Data to Facebook and Most Users Are Unaware

 

[tzm41]

Woof, and people keep talking about the walled garden protecting them

 

[acorntoy]

Facebook is freakin creepy.


Stop using it people. Just stop.

The massive amount of people using Facebook is what has allowed it to garner this type of power with third parties. Facebook continues to have massive scandals and the same people who are outraged go and check on it two minutes later. People need to stop using it, delete their accounts, and eventually it will not have this kind of power.

 

[maflynn]

The Wall Street Journal's full report, which is well worth reading, offers more detail on how it tested these apps and how some of the apps responded.

The full report appears to be behind a paywall

I'm surprised by this revelation, but should I really at this point? Sad, to see such major sites, like realtor.com doing such things.

 

[mgollaher92]

Facebook is so disgusting

 

[1050792]

The wall garden is showing its holes.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

Woof, and people keep talking about the walled garden protecting them

Apple and especially Tim Cook , mr. Caraokee give a ... about privacy. It’s just a marketing instrument.
And his Stanford speech is just the topping on all that.

It’s just disgusting what comes out recently only about the App Store

 

[walterhpdx]

Sounds like a class action lawsuit just waiting to happen if they're NOT disclosing data sharing.

 

[Khedron]

Apple should buy another billboard, that'll show 'em

 

[cmaier]

The wall garden has is showing its holes.

That's the way facebook would like you to frame the issue.

The problem is Facebook Is Evil.
[doublepost=1550858409][/doublepost]

Apple and especially Tim Cook , mr. Caraokee give a ... about privacy. It’s just a marketing instrument.
And his Stanford speech is just the topping on all that.

It’s just disgusting what comes out recently only about the App Store

How is Apple supposed to prevent this? Spend a week analyzing each release of each app, after it has been released (because developers can change the behavior on-the-fly by building in date checks or server checks), and from random coffee shops (because developers can detect Apple's IP range and prevent bad behavior while the reviewers are reviewing the app)?

 

[skinned66]

That all sounds scummy as hell. Surprise, Facebook is involved.

 

[omihek]

Facebook is freakin creepy.


Stop using it people. Just stop.

In this particular case it doesn't matter if you stop using it. They are still getting your data from other apps you use. Just delete any apps that are found to be doing this. Or turn off all your technology and go live out in the woods. Seems that might be the only way to maintain privacy these days. Smh.

 

[JustSomeInfo]

Facebook is freakin creepy.


Stop using it people. Just stop.

That won't even help in this case: "Facebook collects data from apps even if no Facebook account is used to log in and even if the user isn't a member of Facebook."

EDIT: Damn you, omihek. You snuck in just ahead of me.

 

[acorntoy]

That won't even help in this case: "Facebook collects data from apps even if no Facebook account is used to log in and even if the user isn't a member of Facebook."

In this particular case it doesn't matter if you stop using it. They are still getting your data from other apps you use. Just delete any apps that are found to be doing this. Or turn off all your technology and go live out in the woods. Seems that might be the only way to maintain privacy these days. Smh.

The massive amount of people using Facebook is what has allowed it to garner this type of power with third parties. Facebook continues to have massive scandals and the same people who are outraged go and check on it two minutes later. People need to stop using it, delete their accounts, and eventually it will not have this kind of power.

 

[mrex]

oh, remember that there is ”if you get caught you may be banned” -guideline for devs.’ (selling user data)... devs have made lots of money by selling user information for years until apple just on last year changed their policy ”if you get caught”... it is still not protected and you can only trust devs - but you know, easy money is easy money...

privacy in appstore/apps are pretty much hype apple managed to create.

That's the way facebook would like you to frame the issue.

The problem is Facebook Is Evil.
[doublepost=1550858409][/doublepost]

How is Apple supposed to prevent this? Spend a week analyzing each release of each app,

isnt that the way apple marketed their appstore against playstore - every apps are checked and privacy was always important?

 

[nviz22]

Well, we all know that Apple will not take down major FB apps temporarily. But if they did? It would send a clear message about data privacy.

 

[Rbjkingston]

every day more hate to facebook and this must stop already and be eliminated damn the days that came this evil

 

[Heineken]

Block all ******** apple. No other way.

 

[Rogifan]

Facebook is evil and Apple shouldn’t allow whatever is happening here.

 

[nviz22]

Woof, and people keep talking about the walled garden protecting them

It’s naiveness to think that any OS isn’t susceptible to data privacy concerns. Only way to reduce or mitigate data collection is living off the grid lol.

 

[blcamp]

It’s exactly this kind of crippety-crap that gives rise to onerous stuff like the GDPR, which places ridiculous burdens on ethical companies just trying to provide honest services to consumers. Just wait, it’s only a matter of time before the US steps in with it’s own regulatory hell. The days of the Internet as we now know it are numbered...

 

[cmaier]

Well, we all know that Apple will not take down major FB apps temporarily. But if they did? It would send a clear message about data privacy.

If apple believes facebook has violated apple’s policy they will take down facebook’s App. In this case it’s not clear that fb specifically violated the policy (versus encouraging others to do so by providing an architecture that makes it easy and valuable to do it)

 

[ghostface147]

The full report appears to be behind a paywall

I'm surprised by this revelation, but should I really at this point? Sad, to see such major sites, like realtor.com doing such things.

It wasn’t for me. Odd. I don’t subscribe to any paywall sites.

 

[cmaier]

every day more hate to facebook and this must stop already and be eliminated damn the days that came this evil

Welcome! Two messages posted so far, and this is one of them, huh? Are you pro- or anti-facebook?

 

[maflynn]

It wasn’t for me. Odd. I don’t subscribe to any paywall sites.

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