Both Android handsets and iPhones have been found to collect and share certain data with Google and Apple every few minutes, even when idle in a pocket or handbag.
No Way to Opt-Out of Data Collection
Our phones collect and upload certain usage data to Apple and Google whether we like it or not, and there’s no way for users to opt-out, claims the new research study conducted by Trinity College Dublin and shared with The Irish Times by Professor Doug Leith.
The study found that Google and Apple smartphones upload data every four and a half minutes, including the device’s hardware serial number, phone number, IMEI, Wi-Fi MAC address, and whether or not a SIM card has been inserted, among other details.
Professor Leith commented:
I think most people accept that Apple and Google need to collect data from our phones to provide services such as iCloud or Google Drive. But when we simply use our phones as phones—to make and receive calls and nothing more—it is much harder to see why Apple and Google need to collect data. Yet in this study we find that Apple and Google collect a wealth of information in precisely that situation. It seems excessive, and it is hard to see why it is necessary.
Google has responded to the study by acknowledging that this data collection is by design.
Google Says This Is How Phones Work
Google has said that this research study “outlines how smartphones work,” with a company spokesperson quoted as saying the following:
Modern cars regularly send basic data about vehicle components, their safety status and service schedules to car manufacturers, and mobile phones work in very similar ways. This report details those communications, which help ensure that iOS or Android software is up to date, services are working as intended, and that the phone is secure and running efficiently.
Apple did not comment on the study at the time of writing.
Is Android a Probe in Your Pocket?
Android, which Apple’s late co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs once called “a probe in your pocket,” has been found to collect “a notably larger volume of handset data than Apple,” according to Professor Leith. On average, Google’s Pixel handsets sent about one megabyte of data every 12 hours. By comparison, iPhones sent just 52KB during the same period.
Leith is concerned about the collection of the MAC addresses of other devices on the network, especially those that uniquely identify the user’s home router, cafe hotspot, or office network. “That means Apple can potentially track which people you are near to, as well as when and where,” Leith said, calling the practice “very concerning.”
The survey goes on to explain that smartphone usage data could be linked to other data sources, including web browsing and shopping purchases, to form detailed user profiles. However, the study stops short of claiming that Apple and Google combine that data with other information being collected.
Smartphone Analytics and Your Privacy
Neither Apple nor Google hides the fact that their respective operating systems collect device analytics, which the user can optionally disable. In Apple’s case, for instance, iOS device analytics may include details about hardware and iOS versions, performance statistics, and data about how you use your devices and applications.
“None of the collected information identifies you personally,” according to a support document on Apple’s website. “Personal data is either not logged at all, is subject to privacy-preserving techniques such as differential privacy, or is removed from any reports before they’re sent to Apple.”
iPhone customers can review this information on their device, and optionally disable the feature, by going to Settings > Privacy > Analytics and Improvements. It’s unclear whether this study refers to analytics collection or something else. For what it’s worth, Professor Leith did say that “users cannot opt-out of the data collection.”
Android users can also optionally let their device collect information about how it’s being used and how it’s working to help Google improve the Android software.
“We use this info to personalize your Google services more, and to improve our products and services for everyone. If you have additional Web and App Activity turned on, this info may be stored with your account,” reads a support document on the Google website.
“If so, you can see and delete it in My Activity.”