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TechRadar
TechRadar
Benedict Collins

Are your Android apps secretly sharing your location with advertisers? Some developers are accidentally leaving on this critical data-invading setting when using third-party SDKs

Android United States EFF
Map shown on smartphone.
  • Some Android apps contain invasive data-gathering SDKs that gather location data without user consent
  • Location data is then sold to advertisers, or purchased by law enforcement for targeting and tracking US citizens
  • Developers, regulators, and legislators should work together to remove the incentive for SDKs to gather this data

Monetizing an app is a key part of development. But developers frequently use third-party software development kits (SDKs) rather than develop their own monetization tools.

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