Android Apps Secretly Sending GPS User Data to Advertisers
Researchers from Duke, Penn State, and Intel Labs confirm the process.
Privacy has been a long-held concern with the Android OS and the news that a significant number of popular apps sending GPS location data to advertisers certainly won't quell these concerns.
Ars Technica reports that researchers from Duke, Penn State and Intel Labs have confirmed that of the 30 popular applications they tested, half sent data to remote advertising servers without the users' knowledge. The researchers performed this test with an application called TaintDroid, named so because it uses dynamic taint analysis to detect and report when applications send sensitive information.
Any Android user who has installed an app knows that before installing, the app prompts the user with a list of phone features the app will be able to access. A user looks these over and if they approve of the features, approves the app and it installs. It's a safety feature designed to give users control and reveal permissions that might seem fishy.
But when an app already uses location features to function, there's no way of knowing what else the app will use those features for, based on the generic description.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Fedora Asahi Remix 41 Available for Apple Silicon
If you have an Apple Silicon Mac and you're hoping to install Fedora, you're in luck because the latest release supports the M1 and M2 chips.
-
Systemd Fixes Bug While Facing New Challenger in GNU Shepherd
The systemd developers have fixed a really nasty bug amid the release of the new GNU Shepherd init system.
-
AlmaLinux 10.0 Beta Released
The AlmaLinux OS Foundation has announced the availability of AlmaLinux 10.0 Beta ("Purple Lion") for all supported devices with significant changes.
-
Gnome 47.2 Now Available
Gnome 47.2 is now available for general use but don't expect much in the way of newness, as this is all about improvements and bug fixes.
-
Latest Cinnamon Desktop Releases with a Bold New Look
Just in time for the holidays, the developer of the Cinnamon desktop has shipped a new release to help spice up your eggnog with new features and a new look.
-
Armbian 24.11 Released with Expanded Hardware Support
If you've been waiting for Armbian to support OrangePi 5 Max and Radxa ROCK 5B+, the wait is over.
-
SUSE Renames Several Products for Better Name Recognition
SUSE has been a very powerful player in the European market, but it knows it must branch out to gain serious traction. Will a name change do the trick?
-
ESET Discovers New Linux Malware
WolfsBane is an all-in-one malware that has hit the Linux operating system and includes a dropper, a launcher, and a backdoor.
-
New Linux Kernel Patch Allows Forcing a CPU Mitigation
Even when CPU mitigations can consume precious CPU cycles, it might not be a bad idea to allow users to enable them, even if your machine isn't vulnerable.
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.5 Released
Notify your friends, loved ones, and colleagues that the latest version of RHEL is available with plenty of enhancements.
OMG