19 March, 2021
Late last year, Apple announced it would begin to publish information in its App Store about what kinds of user data iOS apps are collecting and sharing with third parties. This little-known feature is available to consumers now via an “App Privacy” summary found on each app’s information in the App Store. So, who are the major offenders?
Most invasive iOS apps
Earlier this month, pCloud conducted an overview of the most popular apps and App Privacy statistics. Unsurprisingly, Instagram and Facebook topped the list of most invasive apps with Instagram disclosing 79% of user data (purchases, location, contact information, user content, search history, browsing history, etc.) to third-party advertisers. By contrast, Twitter came in at #28 on the list of most invasive apps, sharing 21% of user data with third parties.
Safe apps
There are some surprising apps at the bottom of the list as well. Netflix, Etsy, and Zoom all share 0% of user data with third parties and are considered safe to use if you want to avoid targeted ads.
If you’ve been wondering if your favourite app is really listening in on your conversations, check out the iOS app store for detailed information on the kinds of user data each app collects, or view the infographic below which outlines some of the more popular apps.
