Security News > 2021 > February > Users largely unaware of the privacy implications of location tracking

Through the app employed in the study researchers were able to identify which kind of personal information the app extracted and its privacy sensitivity according to users.

"Users are largely unaware of the privacy implications of some permissions they grant to apps and services, in particular when it comes to location tracking information", explains Musolesi.

"Thanks to machine learning techniques, these data provide sensitive information such as the place where users live, their habits, interests, demographics, and information about users' personalities".

From the location data, the app can extract personal information and asks users to give feedback on the correctness of such information as well as to rate its relevance in terms of privacy sensitivity.

"We think it is important to show users the amount and quality of information that apps can collect through location tracking", continues Musolesi.

"Equally important for us is to understand whether users think that sharing information with app managers or marketing firms is acceptable or deem it a violation of their privacy".

News URL

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HelpNetSecurity/~3/o_JccMdk2yk/