More than 4,000 Android apps silently access your installed software

[sidemoon]

 Android API lets apps collect a list of all other installed apps, no permission needed.

More than 4,000 Google Play apps silently collect a list of all other installed apps in a data grab that allows developers and advertisers to build detailed profiles of users, a recently published research paper found.

The apps use an Android-provided programming interface that scans a phone for details about all other apps installed on the phone. 

The app details - Which include names, dates they were first installed and most recently updated, and more than three-dozen other categories - are uploaded to remote servers without permission and no notification.

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[dinosaur07]

How can we stop this unwanted activity or how can we prevent them doing it?

[sidemoon]

How can we stop this unwanted activity or how can we prevent them doing it?

impossible, or almost...  :(