Friday, February 15, 2013

Google Play leaking app users personal info


Concerns over a possible Google privacy issue have emerged as an Australian app developer discovered he had access to the personal information of users who downloaded his Android app in Google Play.

Developer Dan Nolan wrote a blog post describing how he found a treasure trove of personal information such as email and mailing addresses from users.

Nolan's concerns highlight something that has been part of Google's Terms of Service (ToS) since the beginning.
Both app developers and consumers agree to the sharing of personal information by accepting the ToS, Mashable reports.

According to the report, Nolan wrote that if a user has bought the app on Google Play, even after canceling the order, he could access the users email address, suburb and in many instances, full name.

He pointed that this is a massive oversight by Google, and under no circumstances should he be able to get the information of the people who are buying the apps unless they opt into it, the report said.

Nolan said the information would allow developers to 'track down and harass users who left negative reviews or refunded the app purchase,' it added.

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