Comprehensive analysis from Incogni, a personal information removal service, sheds light on the potential risks of invasive practices in Android apps. To do this, the company looked at the 74 most popular children’s apps across 59 countries. 

The research finds that a significant number of child-targeted apps lack transparency in data safety. For example, 34 out of the 74 apps collected user data, and 21 were sharing that data. On average, the apps collected 5.7 data points across 2.8 different categories.

Notably, 11 apps were flagged for collecting over seven data points, and five collected over ten. These data points could include location, email addresses, photos, and purchase history. 

Of the 60 total data points collected across the 11 highest-collecting apps, developers disclosed a total of 235 purposes, 82 of which are for analytics, 47 for app functionality, and 34 for fraud prevention. Notably, 17 data points are collected for the purposes of advertising or marketing. 

Graph courtesy of Incogni

While many of the apps claim that they encrypt data to adhere to the Google Play Families Policy, only 62% allowed users to request the deletion of their data. 

“Addressing this problem requires collaborative efforts from parents, regulators, and tech companies to establish and enforce clear and strong standards that prioritise children’s online safety and privacy, including parental education, industry self-regulation, and legal frameworks,” said Darius Belejevas, head of Incogni.

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The global breakdown showcased variations in data privacy practices, with Oceania, particularly New Zealand, exhibiting the highest average of 5.3 data points per use. Compared to the UK, which collects an average of 4.5 data points and shares 0.3. 

North America ranked as the third most data-hungry region, with popular apps collecting an average of 4.1 data points. The complexity of privacy settings, legal and regulatory gaps, weak enforcement, and a lack of parental education were identified as contributing factors to exploitative practices.