Some apps are data-hungry monsters. A study, led by Surfshark and supported by companies like Home Depot and Amazon, looked into how these apps collect our data. Let us peek at the top 5 big eaters of your data.
First in line are Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta Platforms, Inc. These social media giants stand out by collecting a whopping 32 data points as defined by Apple. Your personal information, including your name, email, phone number and physical address, is all fair game, seamlessly linked to your identity for tracking purposes.
Wish, the popular shopping app, comes next. It snags 24 out of 32 possible data points. Your email, precise location and purchase history are among the pieces of information used to keep tabs on users.
DoorDash, another player in the data collection game, gathers 24 data points. It relies on information such as precise and coarse location, email and purchase history for user tracking.
Joining the ranks is TikTok, the beloved social media app. It collects 24 data points, with your email, phone number and device ID playing starring roles in its tracking strategy.
Amazon, while not using data for user tracking, stands out by accumulating a substantial amount of unique data—25 out of 32 possible data points—all tied directly to the user’s identity.
An interesting observation is that shopping and food delivery apps, on average, prove to be the most data-hungry category, collecting 21 out of 32 possible data points. These apps often link a significant portion of the collected data to the user’s identity for tracking purposes.
In response to privacy concerns, companies like Home Depot and Amazon emphasize their commitment to customer privacy. They assure users that customer information is used to improve and personalize the shopping experience, with protective controls in place.
