Apps covertly sending GPS data to advertisers

[INTREPID-NY]

Some Android apps caught covertly sending GPS data to advertisers

Story at arstechnica.com:
Some Android apps caught covertly sending GPS data to advertisers

Is there a way to identify these apps?

 

[AndroidRider]

Yes, Gizmodo just did an article about such an app that identifies these a day or two ago, It was in my news gizmodo news feed on my incredible, but I lost it... will let you know when I find it.

 

[Evman]

I almost never have my GPS turned on anyway

 

[RichSz]

Is there a way to identify these apps?

I think that's key. It's all well and good and great fun to start a privacy panic so that we mistrust every app we ever download, but it's far more useful to tell us which ones are doing this. How about releasing the tool so we can drum up our paranoia ourselves? I realize they will eventually release it, but it seems to me that now would be better than later.

I'm being somewhat smart-assed about the panic and paranoia, but I think most people do have privacy concerns, and quite rightly so. Releasing part of the data without the full picture is like telling a group of "people one of you is a traitor" without revealing who it is. It makes for great movies and Bible stories, but isn't very responsible in real life.

The guy who was trying to use his Google phone without logging in to Google must have pulled his battery and buried the phone in his yard after hearing this.

 

[droid416]

The app is called TaintDroid. Here is the link to the Gizmodo article:
Find Out Who's Pulling Private Data From Your Phone With TaintDroid

 

[rapidsandroid]

This is why I stick to widely known companies that have websites with detailed privacy statements.