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Facebook And Instagram Named The Most Invasive Apps In New Privacy Study

Recent research from IT Asset Management Group (IT-AMG) analyzed over 5,000 mobile applications, revealing insights into data privacy practices among popular platforms. The study highlights that Facebook and Instagram are among the most intrusive,…

MBy Megan ForbesDec 27, 20251 min read

Recent research from IT Asset Management Group (IT-AMG) analyzed over 5,000 mobile applications, revealing insights into data privacy practices among popular platforms. The study highlights that Facebook and Instagram are among the most intrusive, collecting and linking extensive user data.

Facebook and Instagram were found to collect 32 out of 35 possible data types, including physical addresses and device identifiers, scoring 61.47 out of 100 on the "privacy intrusion index". This index emphasizes not only data collection but also how data is linked and tracked to individual users.

Other apps, such as YouTube and TikTok, ranked significantly lower in privacy intrusion, suggesting that high user engagement does not necessarily correlate with extensive data collection.

Data Practices in Delivery and Retail Apps

Grab: Taxi Ride, Food Delivery ranked third in data intrusion, collecting 27 data types, with 15 linked and tracked. Retail apps like Nordstrom Rack and AE + Aerie also appeared in the top ten, highlighting their focus on spending behavior and marketing data.

The study highlights that Facebook and Instagram are among the most intrusive, collecting and linking extensive user data.
Megan Forbes · Thehackingpost

Other Meta applications, such as Threads, Meta Business Suite, and Messenger, also scored high in privacy intrusion, collecting 32 data types linked to users. However, none of these data types are classified as tracking under Apple's definitions.

The study identified Photo and Video apps as the most invasive category, followed by Social Networking and Food and Drink apps. These categories require extensive access to media, analytics, and user-linked information.

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This research underscores the normalization of extensive data collection in digital life. IT-AMG suggests that user awareness of data collection practices is crucial as apps increasingly integrate convenience with deep personal insights.

Based on reporting by techround.co.uk.

AI transparency. This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published under human editorial oversight. AI systems can make mistakes. Read how we use AI (EU AI Act, Art. 50).
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