Time to Delete? The Most Invasive Apps List Includes Some of Your Favorites

[usonian]

https://www.pcmag.com/articles/time-to-delete-the-most-invasive-apps-list-includes-some-of-your-favorites

Everyone wants your data. And why not? There’s a lot of money in selling or sharing the information apps collect about you. App companies leech data from your devices in exchange for whatever free service they’re offering, and sometimes, collection happens without your consent.

The best way to know what you're getting into before downloading an app is to look at the company's privacy policy. Check out my privacy policy reading guide to help you parse all that jargon. You can usually find a link to the privacy policy on the app's landing page in the app store or at the bottom of a company’s website. The next best way to learn about an app’s data collection beforehand is to read each company’s privacy reports in the app stores.

Some apps may surprise you. For example, why would a calendar app need access to the health data on your phone? Why would a calculator require your list of contacts? It’s a good idea to ask yourself these questions before downloading any new apps. If the answer doesn’t seem obvious, don’t download the app. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the most invasive apps that may be on your phone right now.

.... long discussion ....
Short answer:
How to Stop Apps From Siphoning Personal Information

The best way to prevent companies from taking your data is to remove invasive apps from your phone. Instead of downloading the standalone app on your device, use the browser versions of popular social media apps.

And ad-blockers and readability extensions work on browser/web versions.
Without further ado, the table:

[liberalla]

1. Bookmarking to read later. Thank you usonian!

You always have the best info!

[Kali]

2. I don't think I have any of those apps on my phone

I don't really do many apps - one bank, whatsapp for international video calls and texts, grocery store (for when website crashes), couple subscription things...

[DBoon]

3. New autos no longer have built-in GPS systems

They expect you to run an app on your cell phone that connects with the auto's monitor.

I believe you need Google Maps to get GPS functionality - alternative GPS apps won't work.

[msongs]

4. only using 4; browser additions reduce the damage considerably nt

[hlthe2b]

5. On that list, Youtube is the worst offender of collecting/sharing data for me. (I use about 8 on the list)

Of those, only about four regularly... It would "hurt" to delete several of them. But none of the worst offenders: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn--on my devices.

[JoseBalow]

6. I have zero apps on my flip phone

[usonian]

7. I have none of these on my smart phone. 😄

When I got a new phone, I transferred zero apps over. The canned procedure is to copy everything.

So, I downloaded only the apps I (thought I) needed.

Starting over now and then is a way to keep things somewhat under control.

Whatever works for you!

[JoseBalow]

8. Definitely works for me, no apps so no need for an expensive phone

[hunter]

11. My flip phone is mostly just a phone.

I also use it to receive texts and sometimes to send them.

My phone is not connected to my emails or anything else in my internet life.

The computers I use daily, including my streaming devices, have their own separate identities. If I allow advertising on them, which I rarely do (usually just out of curiosity) there's no hint that the advertising bots recognize me as the same person although it's clear they recognize our household, probably by our internet address.

[hamsterjill]

9. Curious what you think about something

I’m near retirement but our company is forcing us to download Microsoft Authenticator on our personal cell phones. I don’t like being “forced”” to do anything.

I literally may leave early over this. I’m “assured” it’s all safe and legal, but I think it’s absurd. My personal cell phone is not an asset of the multi-million dollar company that I work for.

[usonian]

10. No idea.

You might get a dumb phone, which is also useful if you are stopped by LE. No service needed, and you can call 911 without a plan.

No apps, no passwords, emails, messages, or data to incriminate you. Only necessary calls.

Perhaps a web search might uncover info. My notion is "I can't be the first to have this problem" and that is almost always true, especially among the reddit users out there.


Good luck finding similar cases and a cure.

[hunter]

12. Your work should provide you with a second phone.

If they won't do that get a second work-only phone for yourself and consider it a business expense.

My wife turns her work phone off when she is not at work or on call. Whenever work calls her personal phone it had better be a life-or-death catastrophe.

I used to have a life-or-death job and my employer would assign me a pager, and later a lunch-box sized cell phone, whenever I was on call. When I wasn't at work or on call and not at home they had no way to contact me.

Once upon a time my brother was a well paid executive in a multi-million dollar company. He was burning out on the job and started answering frantic two-o'clock in the morning calls from work with, "Is anyone going to die?" This did not go over well with his multi-millionaire bosses and my brother soon parachuted out of there.