Privacy research on the App Store: Mobile apps are not safe for kids!

Mobile applications for children in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store were examined, and it was revealed that many of the applications found did not comply with the American child privacy law.

They do not comply with online privacy law

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, passed by the USA in 1998, aims to protect the privacy of children under the age of 13 on the Internet. App stores, including Apple and Google, must comply with the law. Researchers at Pixalate examine the app stores of all companies, including these big technology companies, and come across apps that violate children’s privacy, even in Apple’s app store, which often mentions privacy in its advertisements.

According to Pixalate, as of the third quarter of 2022, there are 420,000 mobile apps open to children in Google and Apple stores. About 8% of the apps in both stores are child apps. There is no country where 64% of children’s apps are registered. The privacy policy and IP addresses of 192 apps that are likely to be aimed at children could not be determined. Number of apps with no IP addresses detected but with a privacy policy; 21.125. This number is slightly higher in the Play Store.

Be careful when installing mobile apps for kids!

While 124,379 apps in the Play Store are asking for permission to access personal information, 59,797 apps are trying to access personal information in the Apple App Store. 44% of apps for children request access to personal data; There is a 42% increase compared to the previous quarter.

Let’s talk about advertisers at the same time that Google even placed ads in Play Store searches. According to the report, advertisers spent three times more on children’s apps. 59% of mobile apps for kids share GPS and IP address information with third-party digital advertisers.

Apple has some privacy features on its platforms, including app tracking transparency. It had released the iOS 14.5 update to significantly reduce the number of companies tracking user data for marketing purposes. Apple often says in its advertisements how much it cares about privacy. Apple gives app approval later than Google, but the latest report highlights how difficult it is to find a safe mobile app for kids.