Recent studies have shown that data on user location is transmitted by online marketers through personalized advertising in applications. Mobile application development companies collect information about users, such as location data and smartphone model, and send it to marketers in real time. This allows other companies to create expanded user profiles with an individual activity profile for each.
An expert from Germany offered a number of recommendations for the secure use of applications, including installing only necessary applications, downloading from verified sources, limiting access rights to data when using free applications, and also implementing careful control over the possibilities of applications and the disclosure of personal data.
Recommendations include avoiding installation of applications from unknown companies, not providing unnecessary access rights to data, such as access to calendar, contacts, camera, photos, physical activity, and even location if this is not necessary for the functioning of the application. This is especially relevant for iOS and Android.
Some applications collect data on user location to create their profile, for example, for advertising purposes. Thus, it is necessary to be careful when selecting and using applications, providing them only with necessary rights and restricting access to confidential data.
