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Facebook, currently known as Meta, has lived in the headlines over the past few years due to concerns over security and privacy. However, according to Forbes, the tech giant Google is a “much bigger threat to your privacy,” with the Google Chrome browser on Android phones reportedly collecting and sharing background data unbeknownst to countless users.
According to Forbes, Google Chrome on Android phones uses motion sensors, also known as accelerometers, to track your movement in the background and then
shares that information with other websites, even if you use the browser’s private “Incognito” feature. The Safari web browser and iOS, on the other hand, reportedly ask users for permission before sharing personal data.Related Post: Google Is Training Formerly Imprisoned People to Re-Enter the Workforce
According to Forbes, Tommy Mysk, a cybersecurity researcher, said about Chrome’s data collection feature, “the motion sensor is accessible to all websites in Android/Chrome by default, [whereas] Safari/iOS protects access by a permission.”
Comparing the browser with Facebook’s reported use of accelerometers, Mysk added, “The way Android handles the accelerometer is much worse [than Facebook]. Apps can even read it in the background. My team implemented a pedometer functionality in our app. The app would count steps even if the app wasn’t running at all. Because the logic was a background service that ran all the time.”
This puts communities of color at a much higher risk of having their personal data shared with other apps and websites without their knowledge, as many non-white phone consumers own and operate Androids devices.
According to a 2018 report by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, “Whereas many Apple models cost around $400, individuals can easily find Android smartphones for just $100. This has been extremely helpful for people with fewer resources, including many in communities of color. Our data show that 66 percent of African Americans and 62 percent of Latinos use Android smartphones.”
In a statement to Forbes, Google reportedly addressed the recent privacy concerns and motion sensor data collection, saying, “We intentionally limit the resolution of motion sensors in Chrome, and since 2019 we’ve had controls that allow users to block websites from accessing a device’s motion sensors altogether,” continuing, “We take user security and privacy seriously, and we’re always working on new ways to improve security and privacy in Chrome.”