mobile app security Archives

Nothing Chats mobile app removed from Google Play Store because of huge privacy issues

11/24/202311/23/2023 Stephanie Beck

The developer has withdrawn its iMessage bridge application following discovery of widespread data concerns. The Nothing Chats iMessage compatible mobile app has been taken off the Google Play Store by Nothing and Sunbird because of widespread privacy concerns. The companies took the application down voluntarily, but only after the data usage behaviors were discovered. The mobile app was taken down after it was found out that Sunbird was logging and retaining user vCards, messages, and more. That said, that same user data was also downloadable by other parties. This led…

US Department of Commerce calls Google and Apple mobile app “gatekeepers”

02/07/202302/06/2023 Sam Lambert

A report from the Biden administration recommends legislation to encourage greater competition. Officials from the Biden administration released a new report in which they described Apple and Google as “gatekeepers” of the mobile app market used by consumers and businesses. The report stated users “should have more control over their devices” and more competition is needed. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the Department of Commerce’s report stated that device users “should have more control over their devices” and presented the argument that additional legislation is likely the…

Android and Chrome get passwordless logins from Google

10/18/202210/18/2022 Sam Lambert

Passwordless logins - Login and password

The mobile operating system and browser have set up support for the FIDO Alliance. Passwordless logins have been a goal for many tech companies for some time now, due to a spectrum of drawbacks to this security strategy. Google, Microsoft and Apple have collaborated on unified standards for authentication. Leading tech giants Google, Microsoft and Apple have come together to establish unified authentication key standards to allow device users to use their devices for unlocking apps and websites across Android, Windows, iOS and macOS, among a spectrum of browsers. Google…

New Steam mobile app to use QR code login

10/17/202210/14/2022 Jorge Gonzalez

Scanning QR Code - Introducing the updated Steam Mobile app - Steam YouTube

Valve has released redesigned options compatible with both Android- and iOS-based devices. Valve has announced the newly redesigned version of its Steam app for both Android and iOS featuring a QR code login. The goal is to leave behind the old and clunky version of the mobile app in favor of streamlined convenience. Valve has been testing the new version of the app and its QR code login feature since at least August 2022. The game builder said that it had build the application “on a new framework and modernized…

T-Mobile is selling consumer app data to advertising companies

07/11/202207/08/2022 Jorge Gonzalez

The company uses network-level tools for tracking applications people are using on their phones. T-Mobile has a reputation for being rather loose with the online and app data collected from consumers and now it has placed its intentions to keep it up right out in the open. The company has launched a new ad platform that is called T-Mobile Advertising Solutions. T-Mobile Advertising Solutions comes with a business model that aggregates customer app data such as usage patterns, and then sells that information to advertisers. The program’s specifics aren’t entirely…