Issues related to user data privacy on the internet is a very recurring subject. According to recent research by Privacy International and published by the Financial Times, some apps collect user data and send it to Facebook, including TripAdvisor, Kayak and MyFitnessPal. The list includes other popular apps on the Google platform.
The apps that were found that pass the information to Facebook are on Android. They collect information such as unique identification that each Android device has, searches made within travel apps and even flight search information.
Other information also includes relationship status, whether there are children in the households, and the number of pets in the house. Information is sent to Facebook without users' permission.
As per the research firm, the collection violates recent rules that were passed in Europe's GDPR. The breach occurs in the absence of notice that the information will be shared with third parties.
Facebook, in order to comply with European standards, changed its development kit to include necessary alerts, however, some developers still make use of the old kit.
Facebook says that new features could help with the task of knowing which companies and websites have personal data. The changes were announced in May of last year and are expected to apply during this year.
Source: Financial Times
