A new study conducted by IT Asset Management Group (IT-AMG) analyzed the privacy policies of more than 5,000 apps in the Apple App Store.
These apps were selected from an extensive list of the top 100 apps in each category, and duplicate or missing data was removed.
To determine which apps are the most intrusive, we created a 100-point index based on 46 metrics, including 35 types of data, six data collection purposes, and five different types of user relationships. The level of privacy violation was measured by whether each data type was tracked and linked, tracked and linked, unlinked and tracked, or not collected at all, with “tracked and linked” being the most intrusive.
At the top of the list were Instagram and Facebook. Their index score was 61.47 out of 100. Both apps are among the most widely used apps in the world, collecting 32 out of 35 types of data. Of these, 25 are linked to the user and 7 are linked to and tracked by the user.
These apps also rank highly intrusive when collecting sensitive information such as physical addresses, devices, and user IDs. This is in stark contrast to other popular entertainment apps such as YouTube and TikTok, which are ranked 27th and 76th.
In third place is Grab: Taxi Ride, Food Delivery with a score of 55.57 out of 100. The app collects 27 types of data, 8 of which are linked to you and 15 of which are linked and tracked. As a ride-hailing and food delivery app, it collects sensitive information such as payment information and other financial data, as well as precise location information and purchase history.
Tied for third place in fourth place were Threads, Meta Business Suite, and Messenger, each receiving a score of 54.53 out of 100. These apps collect 32 types of data, all linked to you, but none tracked.
At the bottom of the list, Nordstrom Rack: Shop Deals ranks 7th with a score of 53.62, collecting 22 types of data, 4 of which are linked to users and 18 of which are both linked and tracked.
Nordstrom followed closely in 8th place with 52.54 points. We collect 22 types of data, 5 of which are linked to you and 17 of which are linked and tracked.
Pinterest ranks 9th with an index score of 50.06. The app collects 29 types of data, 22 of which are linked to you and 6 of which are linked and tracked.
Rounding out the top 10 is AE + Aerie, which stands for apparel brand American Eagle Outfitters, with a score of 50.01 out of 100. The app collects 21 types of data, 3 of which are linked to you and 16 of which are linked and tracked.
Of all the apps and categories we investigated, photo video apps are the most intrusive. Although only 23 were included in our investigation because they exceeded the minimum review criteria, the overall score for this category was 38.54 out of 100.
These are followed by social networking apps and food and beverage apps.
