If there’s one thing that iPhone fans love to tease Android fans about, it’s the perceived lack of security on Android devices. But AppleInsider points us to a new study from mobile security vendor Appthority showing that free iOS apps may actually be less secure than free Android apps when it comes to leaking user data. Overall, the study found that a greater percentage of the top 50 free iOS apps sent and received data without encryption than the top 50 free Android apps. What’s more, the study also found that the top 50 free iOS apps were more likely to have access to users’ contacts and calendar information, were more likely to employ location tracking and were more likely to rely on ad networks to generate revenue than the top 50 free Android apps. The study does not address the impact of mobile malware, but as AppleInsider notes, “mobile malware affects only one percent of apps” and the potential security risks described in the study are far more common.
Study: Free iOS apps leak more user data than free Android apps
Published Mar 6th, 2013 1:35PM EST
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Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.
