Privacy
09:33, 04-Aug-2018
Over 90 percent of cellphone apps request access to private information: report
Updated
08:52, 07-Aug-2018
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A new report says 99.9 percent of cellphone applications within the Android operating system and 93.8 percent for iOS request access to a user's private information.
The report on internet privacy security and fraud for the first half of 2018 was jointly released by Tencent Research Center and the Data Center of China Internet (DCCI) at a press conference Friday.
"Almost all applications request access to a user's private information... it is an enduring task to protect the internet users' privacy," Hu Yanping, founder of the DCCI, told reporters.
Some applications gain the users' private information by accessing irrelevant services. For example, an online music application might request to use the phone's camera, said Liu Jie, host of the press conference.
When people install a new Android or iOS app, it asks the user’s permission before accessing personal information. /VCG Photo
When people install a new Android or iOS app, it asks the user’s permission before accessing personal information. /VCG Photo
Some 89.9 percent of applications request access to use the camera, and 86.2 percent request access to the microphone and recording device, which users are the most concerned about, according to the report.
Recommendations to protect private information made in the report include downloading applications from verified sources and cautiously permitting the apps to access information about locations, messages and contacts.
Since the enforcement of the Cybersecurity Law in June 2017, mobile device developers have raised their awareness about cybersecurity, the report says.
Mobile application developers cannot collect user information that is irrelevant and they should handle such information in accordance with the laws and user agreements, according to authorities.
(Top image: VCG Photo)
Source(s): Xinhua News Agency