A new study has revealed which popular apps collect and share the most personal data with third parties.
SQL Server Consulting studied and analyzed the most downloaded apps on the Google Play Store to see which apps are giving away the most personal information.
Top apps most likely to share your personal data according to SQL Server Consulting
| Rank |
Application Name |
Sets of Information Shared With Third Parties |
| 1. |
Picsart AI Photo Editor |
8 |
| 2. |
8 Ball Pool |
7 |
| 3. |
Amazon Shopping |
6 |
| 3. |
Subway Surfers |
6 |
| 4. |
Fruit Ninja |
5 |
| 4. |
Roblox |
5 |
| 5. |
Temple Run |
4 |
| 5. |
Temple Run 2 |
4 |
| 5. |
TikTok |
4 |
| 5. |
Viber Messenger |
4 |
| 6. |
Candy Crush Saga |
3 |
| 6. |
Spotify |
3 |
First place: Picsart AI Photo Editor
In first place is Picsart AI Photo Editor, which shares eight different sets of personal information with third parties.
- Picsart AI Photo Editor, with over a billion downloads, was found to share locations, personal information (names and email addresses), photos and videos, audio, files and documents, app activity, and app information with third parties.
Second place: 8 Ball Pool
Second place goes to 8 Ball Pool, which was found to share seven different sets of information with third parties
- 8 Ball Pool, with over one billion downloads, was shown to share locations, user IDs, financial information, messages, app activity, app information, and device IDs with third parties.
Third place: Amazon Shopping and Subway Surfers
Third place is a tie between Amazon Shopping and Subway Surfers, each sharing six different sets of information with third parties.
- Amazon Shopping, with more than 500 million downloads, was found to share personal information (names, email addresses, addresses, and phone numbers), financial information, health information, photos and videos, app activity, and device IDs.
- With over a billion downloads, Subway Surfers was found to share Locations, User IDs, financial information, app activity, app information, and device IDs with third parties.
Fourth place: Fruit Ninja and Roblox
Fourth place is another tie between two gaming applications, Roblox and Fruit Ninja. Both games have been downloaded to devices more than 500 million times and share 5 different sets of personal information with third parties.
- Fruit Ninja was found to share locations, User IDs, financial information, app information, and device IDs with third parties.
- Roblox was found to share locations, user IDs, financial information, audio, and device IDs - which is concerning considering that Roblox is aimed at children.
Fifth place: Temple Run 1 & 2, Viber Messenger, and TikTok
Fifth place see four apps each sharing four sets of personal information with third parties; Temple Run, Temple Run 2, TikTok, and Viber Messenger.
- Temple Run 1 and 2, with more than a billion downloads between them, were both found to share financial information, app activity, app information, and device IDs.
- Viber Messenger, with over a billion downloads, was found to share locations, personal information (names, email addresses, and other information), financial information, and device IDs.
- TikTok, with over one billion downloads, was found to share names, photos and videos, audio, and app activity.
Sixth place: Candy Crush Saga and Spotify
Sixth spot sees Candy Crush and Spotify, each sharing three sets of personal information with third parties.
- Candy Crush was found to share locations, email addresses, and device IDs.
- Spotify was found to share locations, personal information, and Device IDs.
Interestingly, these apps were the culprits for sharing the most personal data, whereas LinkedIn, as well as Meta’s Facebook, Facebook Lite, Instagram, Threads, and Messenger, were found to be the most invasive, each requiring 13 permissions to use with full functionality when downloaded.