A new study showing tech companies are collecting data from Apple and Google apps — mostly used by children without parental consent — and sending it to advertisers has experts calling for laws that would make app developers responsible for determining if children are using their products.
“Apps are spying on our kids at a scale that should shock you,” according to The Washington Post, which reported on the study. “More than two-thirds of the 1,000 most popular iPhone apps likely to be used by children collect and send their personal information out to the advertising industry.”
The study, by Pixalate, a company that focuses on fraud protection and privacy, found 79% of Android apps do the same. Researchers found popular apps like Angry Birds 2 and Candy Crush Saga spy on kids who use their apps — as do apps used for coloring and math homework.