How does an app like Threads get access to financial, political, health, religious or browsing info through your phone's OS. What is the actual source of that data? - eviltoast

I’m trying to understand how an app would even get that info in the first place, how that’s classified and why a mobile operating system even has a way to provide that data.

Am I correct in assuming that if an app is used without play store / play store framework that it would not be able to get access to that data?

Thanks!

  • zlatiah@kbin.social
    261·
    1 year ago

    Second this!

    Phones give out a lot of personal information on their own lol. On top of the phone, don’t forget that social media apps like Threads also require you to login… with credentials stored at FB/Meta… that they can derive all the aforementioned information on, as well as other type of things (Amazon purchases? Stuff you watch on youtube.com? Google queries?..) by using some creative tracking technology. You basically gave them a dog tag to identify you whenever you sign up for services after all

    For shittier apps like Thread, apparently they also do some weird stuff like forcing the app to be on once the OS boots, so… yeah.