An academic study, published by the Data Protection Agency, reveals that from the moment we turn on our phone, our actions on the device are already being observed and recorded.
Android mobile devices track user actions without them knowing and can access their personal data. This is done through pre-installed applications on the device that, by default, cannot be removed from it.
The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) will present this study and its conclusions to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB).
The research includes more than 82.000 pre-installed applications on more than 1.700 Android devices manufactured by 214 distinct brands have been identified and it has been determined that almost the 100% manufacturers include, at least, a pre-installed application that accesses user data. These applications also generate a history of the actions performed by the user.
It has been identified that more than 1.200 companies related to these applications collect user information and more than 11.000 software libraries included in applications add advertising and track user activity.
After a thorough analysis of application behavior, it was identified that 50% of them exhibit malicious or undesired behavior.