Shocking revelation! These 10 apps are stealing your personal information without asking, delete them now or else you will regret it
Apps: Nowadays, while threats to digital privacy are increasing, a new report has further deepened this concern
Apps: Nowadays, while threats to digital privacy increasing, a new report has deepened this concern further. The latest study by data research company Apteco has revealed that some mobile apps are collecting sensitive information of users on a large scale, that too without clear permission. The most surprising thing is that social media platforms are at the top of the list of these apps.
Meta's apps are on top
According to Apteco's 2025 report, Facebook, Instagram and Threads of Meta are in the top three positions among the apps that collect the most personal data. These apps collect users' names, mobile numbers, addresses and many other personal information. Apart from these, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Amazon Alexa, Amazon, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter) and PayPal are also included in this top 10 list.
What information is collected?
According to the report, these apps are not just limited to basic details but go beyond that and collect in-depth data of the user. This includes.
- Accurate and approximate location data
- User uploaded information and identifiers
- Financial details and payment history
- Browsing and search history
- Purchase record
This information is sometimes used not just to display advertisements but also to track and influence user behavior.
What should users do?
The report does not recommend deleting the apps but users are strongly advised to keep an eye on their privacy settings. These could be some important steps.
- Restrict location access to "While using the app"
- Turn off precise location tracking
- Give permission to contacts, photos or microphone only when absolutely necessary
- Check your privacy regularly by going into your app and phone settings
The data business is still running
Even four years after Apple's "Data Linked to You" privacy label policy came into effect, apps are not refraining from selling or using user data. These apps with billions of users are using users' personal information as a 'product' and all this happens behind the scenes. Therefore, it is important that users remain vigilant and take responsibility for their own digital security.
PC:ABPNews