Study of 17,260 Android Apps Doesn’t Find Evidence of Secret Spying
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android
A thorough study of 17,260 Android apps reveals that while some apps may accidentally take screenshots of the user's screen and upload it online, there is no evidence to suggest that apps are secretly turning a phone's microphone or camera on to spy on device owners behind their backs.
The study, carried out by academics from Northwestern University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, analyzed the behavior of popular apps available on the official Google Play Store, but also three major third-party app stores.
More precisely, the research team took a look at 15,627 apps from the official Google Play Store, 510 apps from AppChina, 528 apps from Mi.com, and 285 apps from the Anzhi portal.
