Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in the UK and Trinity College Dublin in Ireland claimed that some of the Android devices they tested transmitted a “significant amount of information” to various parties, including Google.
In their report, the researchers analyzed data sent from the Android operating system used by Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Realme, LineageOS and e/OS. Highlighting /e/OS in particular as a notable exception, the researchers observed that sensitive user data, such as persistent identifiers, app usage details, and telemetry information, is passed on not only to device brands, but also to multiple third parties such as Microsoft. These include LinkedIn and Facebook.
The response from Google was quick. In a statement to BleepingComputer, a Google spokesperson clarified the subject by saying, “As explained in our Google Play Services Help Center article, the data collected is necessary for basic device services such as notifications and software updates in various device ecosystems and software builds.”
The spokesperson acknowledges that Google collects information such as the IMEI of each device in order to reliably deliver critical updates across the Android device and application ecosystem. The following statement by the Google spokesperson is very interesting: “This is how modern smartphones work.”
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