theiet :Android apps shown to secretly track users' whereabouts

Android apps shown to secretly track users' whereabouts

Users are unwittingly agreeing to allow app developers access to their private data through small print clausesAndroid apps may be automatically transmitting sensitive information, such as the routes you travel, through the phone's built-in sensors.Three years ago, the Federal Trade Commission accused the developers of the 'Brightest Flashlight' app for Android of consumer deception because it was transmitting users' locations and device IDs to third parties without getting their permission.Permissions, though, are only a small part of the Android- app privacy story.

Android apps can secretly track your whereabouts: study

Android apps can be manipulated to access built-in sensors in smartphones and track your whereabouts and traffic patterns, without your knowledge or consent, a new study has warned.Researchers from Northeastern University in the US built an Android app and tested it.View PhotosTheir system uses an algorithm that inserts data from the phone's built-in sensors into graphs of the world's roads.

Android apps can be used to track your whereabouts without you knowing

APPS CAN SECRETLY track an Android phone's whereabouts and traffic patterns without needing access to GPS or WiFi, researchers have found.Researchers from Northeastern University in the US found that instead of using those features, you could do similar tracking by using a phone's sensors, most of which don't require permissions to use.Such sensors include the accelerometer and pedometer, which detect movement and measures the number of steps taken by the user.