Can (Android) apps really see what sites you've visited and what apps you're using?

Privacy Questions
1

I was just installing a new Android app the other day and as usual, I was turning off the consent settings, and I saw this:

Data collected and processed

Browsing and interaction data: Your online activity such as the websites you visit, apps you are using, the content you search for on this service, or your interactions with content or ads, such as the number of times you have seen a specific content or ad or whether you clicked on it.

Does this mean that that app could’ve seen all the sites I visited and apps I use?

Do Android browsers, like Brave and Firefox, not have features to stop/block this, even if you give the other app consent?

Is there a way to see which apps on my phone have the ability to see all this sort of stuff?

Is there a way to stop it?

Thanks

1 Like
2

They can’t know what sites you’ve visited (unless you visited them in the app in question), but they can know what apps you have in their profile. They can’t access the data of these apps, though

1 Like
3

Android apps that aren’t operating or observing your network stack cannot see anything outside of their own data, and can only access other data based on the permissions you give them or any data your directly share.

Apps that act as browsers, VPNs, DNS, etc. are able to watch your network (browser can watch network that the browser makes but not all data, VPNs usually see everything, DNS sees the requests you or your apps resolve, etc.).

So the answer would usually be “No, they cannot”. It would help if you elaborate what kind of app it is if you are still in doubt.

1 Like
4

Thanks for the replies.

It was this app that I was installing:

It was part of the privacy-type policy bit at the beginning.

Lots of apps have a similar screen when you install them and use them for the first time.

I wonder why they ask for these permissions if they can’t see the sites you visit etc?

5

Maybe the consent text is not well written? Or its trying to be comprehensive?

Their privacy policy clarifies, when you use their website, they collect:

Usage Data may include information such as Your Device’s Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

When you use their app, they collect the following:

When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device, below list can provide a non-exclusive list of the contents of Usage Data:

Hardware model;
Information about operating system and its version;
Screen size and density;
Language and country;
Unique device identifiers (e.g. IDFA);
Time zone;
Device mute status (related to reminder function)
In order to provide a better user experience, we have integrated data statistics tools in the App, they won’t collect users’ health data or privacy data and are only used for CRASH targeting and AB-testing for new features and design， The details are as follows:

Device information
Screen Size
OEM Name
Model
Device system information
OS Name
OS Version
OS Build
Time Zone
System Language
Carrier Country
Carrier Name
Location information
Locale
Country Area
Application information
App Name
App Build
APP Version Number
SDK Name
SDK Version