PHOENIX — New year, new you!
For some people, January signals a time of change by committing to a New Year's resolution. But changing can be tough on your own, which is why some people turn to apps as a solution to track and help their progress.
A new study by Incogni, a data privacy platform, looks at resolution-oriented apps and the privacy risks associated with them.
In all, 344 apps were analyzed.
Here's what researchers found:
- TMI: 84% of all examined New Year's resolution apps requested at least one dangerous permission.
According to Incogni, a majority of apps requested dangerous permission including recording audio or using accounts on the device. The most requested dangerous permissions were to read and modify or delete the contents of a user's USB storage.
- Knowing where you are.
Nearly half of the apps analyzed want to know exactly where a user is located. According to the study, an estimated 40% of all apps request dangerous location-related permissions.
- The least private New Year's resolution category for apps is weight loss while the most private is quitting smoking.
Apps to help a user lose weight or exercise more were among the worst for privacy scores. The apps may argue they need more information about you because they have to analyze and evaluate nutrition-related issues.
Before you download an app, check the data safety section of the app in the Google Play or Apple app store.
The Federal Trade Commission has tips on more ways to opt out of data sharing and ways to change what you give apps permission to see and use.
