NEW YORK: Twitter has been criticised for snooping on users of its mobile app. The service began telling users of the change today. It says it is only collecting data on what apps are installed, and no data from within apps.
‘To help build a more personal Twitter experience for you, we are collecting and occasionally updating the list of apps installed on your mobile device so we can deliver tailored content that you might be interested in,’ it said in a blog post.
‘We are only collecting the list of applications you have installed. We are not collecting any data within the applications.’
However, users of the service say it could create privacy issues. ‘I have to say that apps can see what other apps you have installed seems like a bit of a security and privacy issue,’ said San Francisco Twitter user Tom Coates, after seeing the message alerting him to the new feature.
‘I can obviously see use cases for an app being able to see what other apps are on a Phone – but … without giving permission?’ ‘I Just don’t like the idea that any app can spot if I’m tracking a medical condition with a dedicated app or in the US which healthcare I use,’ he told MailOnline.
Another user tweeted ‘Apparently I don’t have privacy’ on seeing the message, while dozens of others questioned the move. Twitter said it will warn users if they are being tracked.
