Apps On Apple iPhone Track You As Much As Android Apps, Oxford Study Reveals

The never-ending privacy debate between Apple and Android users can be put to rest now. A new Oxford survey has revealed that both operating software offer the same level of privacy protection. In essence, iPhones violate your privacy as much as Android phones, even if Apple claims otherwise.

Titled "Are iPhones Really Better for Privacy?", the study undertaken by researchers at the University of Oxford asserts that neither platform does a better job than the other in terms of user privacy protection.

They found that there is no clear winner, opposed to the argument that one's smartphone architecture influences user safety.

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What factors about Apple & Google did the study consider?

The study was conducted before iOS 14.5 was introduced in April 2021, implying that it did not take into account changes made by Apple regarding app tracking and privacy. Now, all apps are required to announce tracking and privacy needs to iPhone users upon installation, which the user can simply deny.

Also read: Google Maps Will Show Eco-Friendly Routes To Help Save Fuel And The Planet

To reach their startling conclusions, the team tracked permissions and network traffic from 12,000 random free applications from both iOS and Android that had existed in their respective ecosystem after 2018. The Apple devices used during the study were first-gen iPhone SE running on iOS 14.2 while for Android, the researchers used Google Nexus 5 on Android 7 Nougat.

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They found that 89 per cent of all Android applications contained at least one tracking library, which in most cases was Google Play Services. For iOS, 79 per cent apps showed similar results with at least tracking library in motion. Researchers think it's likely to be Apple's own SKADNetwork which tracks a user's advertisement interaction.

Google has major tracking privileges even on Apple

Even on Apple devices, Google had major tracking reach. 90 per cent of all Android apps and 60 per cent of all iOS apps were found to be sharing tracking data with companies that are owned by Google.

Facebook, too loves tracking user activity and data. On Android, Facebook trackers were found in 28 per cent applications and in iOS, the same FB trackers were noticed in 26 per cent applications.

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Also read: Apple Facing EU Antitrust Probe Over NFC-Based Payments: Report

The United States accounted for most app tracking mechanisms. Only 9.5 per cent of iOS applications and roughly 5 per cent Android apps were using trackers based out of China. Indian trackers were also noted by the researchers. 7.5 per cent of iOS applications and 2 per cent of Android ones used India-based trackers.

What do these revelations change for your understanding of privacy on Apple's iOS and Google Android? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more in the world of science and technology, continue reading Indiatimes.com.

Citation

Oxford University. (2021). Are iPhones really better for privacy? Sciendo. Published.