TZUTC: -0500   
   MSGID: 1732.consprcy@1:2320/105 2d84794d   
   PID: Synchronet 3.21a-Linux master/123f2d28a Jul 12 2025 GCC 12.2.0   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.28-Linux master/123f2d28a Jul 12 2025 GCC 12.2.0   
   BBSID: CAPCITY2   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   FORMAT: flowed   
   Forget Beijing, its US shopping apps that are sucking up your privacy  and   
   Amazon is the most data-hungry   
      
   Date:   
   Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:26:16 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Surfshark's latest research warns that US apps are outstripping Chinese apps   
   in data collection. Here's all you need to know.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   Are you scrolling through US shopping apps to find the best deals ahead of    
   the Black Friday frenzy? Then you might want to know their reputation for    
   data harvesting is wretched -- outpacing even that of their often-criticised   
   Chinese counterparts.   
      
   This is the finding from the latest research conducted by Surfshark . The   
   cybersecurity company examined the data collection practices of the 10 most   
   popular shopping apps in the US, finding that the four most aggressive data   
   harvesters are all based in the US, surpassing Chinese competitors in the   
   breadth of data collected.    
      
   Surprise, surprise: Amazon takes the spot as the most data-hungry app ,   
   collecting 25 unique types of data in the categories scrutinised. Walmart and   
   Costco follow with 23 each, while Whatnot collects 20. In stark contrast,   
   China's largest collector, Alibaba, collects only 19 types of data, followed   
   by Temu with 17.    
      
   The creator of one of the best VPNs analysed 35 different types of data   
   gathered for purposes such as product personalization, third-party   
   advertising, and data analysis. The team also assessed how many categories   
   were ticked by each app by examining public information on the Apple App   
   Store.    
      
   All of the apps analyzed vacuum vast amounts of users personal details,   
   including payment details, used ID and search history, with most also   
   collecting phone numbers, photos, and videos.    
      
   However, only Amazon and Walmart collect information classified as   
   'sensitive,' and that can include political opinions, ethnic origin, and   
   biometric data. Together with Whatnot and Alibaba, its unsettling to know    
   they could also collect voice or audio recordings.   
      
   A dangerous trade-off   
      
   Although it is reasonable to assume that Amazon, the Western world's largest   
   marketplace, gobbles an insatiable amount of data to sharpen its   
   personalisation algorithms  including strictly personal data of all sorts     
   the results reveal a worrying potential.    
      
   And while the research itself is based on standardised categories that do not   
   represent a uniform level of risk, the study alerts users that they may not    
   be aware of what sort of information they actually give away when they open    
   an app  or where it could end.    
      
   Surfshark warns that continuous tracking, permanent storage of digital data,   
   and security risks such as data leaks and breaches could expose information    
   to third parties and malicious individuals.    
      
   Additionally, health-related data could be used in ultra-targeted advertising   
   to exploit people at their most vulnerable. "The leakage of particularly   
   sensitive data, such as political opinions or health data, can damage a   
   person's reputation and financial situation, as health data rarely changes    
   and can be used by insurance companies and healthcare providers," Luis Costa,   
   research lead at Surfshark, explains.    
      
   Shopping apps can also gather sensitive information by tracking how users   
   interact with them -- and not only when users choose to share them.   
      
   "By analysing your searches, purchases, and location, apps can learn about   
   your interests and habits," Costa tells TechRadar.  "Sometimes, they could   
   combine this information to guess personal details like your political views   
   or health status, often to personalise your app experience."    
      
   Ultimately, with more information exposed, it becomes easier to replicate a   
   digital profile of any person, thereby putting everyone at risk, the expert   
   warns.   
      
   How to stay safe    
      
   Your last-minute Black Friday or Christmas bargain may not be worth these   
   hidden costs.    
      
   For a better-safe-than-sorry experience, simply do not download the apps  or   
   at least read the privacy policy and strengthen your account security, for   
   example, by using two-factor authentication .    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/forget-beijing-its-us-shopp   
   ing-apps-that-are-sucking-up-your-privacy-and-amazon-is-the-most-data-hungry   
      
   $$   
   --- SBBSecho 3.28-Linux   
    * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)   
   SEEN-BY: 105/81 106/201 128/187 129/14 305 153/7715 154/110 218/700   
   SEEN-BY: 226/30 227/114 229/110 206 300 307 317 400 426 428 470 664   
   SEEN-BY: 229/700 705 266/512 291/111 320/219 322/757 342/200 396/45   
   SEEN-BY: 460/58 633/280 712/848 902/26 2320/0 105 304 3634/12 5075/35   
   PATH: 2320/105 229/426