"Does a calendar app really need to access your health data? Does a language learning app need access to your photos? Many apps on your phone quietly harvest a ton of data they don't need, mostly so that data can be packaged and sold, or used by the company for advertising. That's why they leech data from your devices in exchange for the service they offer, sometimes without your consent. It may sound shady, but some very popular apps are guilty of this."
"The best way to know what you're getting into before downloading an app is to review the company's privacy policy. You can usually find a link to a company's privacy policy on an app's landing page in the store or at the bottom of the company's website. The next best way to learn about data collection is to read the app store's privacy reports. It's a good idea to look these over before installing any new app."
Many mobile apps collect far more personal data than required, often packaging and selling it or using it for advertising. Apps may leech data from devices in exchange for services, sometimes without user consent. Users can review company privacy policies on app store pages or websites and check app store privacy reports before installing apps. Marin Marinčić examined Apple App Store privacy reports and compiled a list of data-hungry apps. Companies self-report to Apple and can omit or misclassify data collection to appear less invasive. Popular games and language apps share or use collected data for analytics and functionality, and some children's apps collect large amounts of data.
Read at PCMAG
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