Apple iOS apps leak more personal data than do Android apps

A recent study conducted by Appthority indicates that the most popular free apps on Apple’s iOS platform are sharing more user data than the most popular apps on Google’s Android platform. The report looked at the top performing free mobile apps across both iOS and Android. Despite Android’s reputation as a less secure platform, the report found Apple iOS apps allowed to engage in more risky behaviours. 50 of the top free iOS apps and 92 per cent of the top 50 free Android apps send and receive data without encryption. iOS apps have more access to user data, with 60 per cent of the top apps tracking user location, 54 per cent having access to a user’s contact list, 60 per cent sharing data with ad or analytics networks and 14 per cent access user’s calendars. A number of questionable policies and security concerns have painted Google’s Android platform as inherently less secure than Apple’s iOS. Android does appear to be more vulnerable to malware than iOS, but mobile malware affects only one percent of apps. The study concludes that should be over how mobile apps handle personal information and company data.

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http://cert-mu.gov.mu/English/Pages/Information%20Security%20News/Apple-iOS-apps-leak-more-personal-data-than-do-Android-apps-.aspx