A risk assessment of Google Play Store apps and “dangerous permissions” for National Security, Consumer Privacy, and Advertising Fraud
Pixalate, a global ad fraud intelligence and marketing compliance platform, announced the findings of significant research from its latest analysis, detailed in the 2019 Mobile Advertising Supply Chain Safety Report.
The first part of Pixalate’s mobile app analysis zeroes in on National Security, Consumer Privacy, and Ad Fraud risks stemming from apps in the Google Play Store.
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Pixalate’s analysis of the over 3.2 million Google Play Store apps — of which over 500,000 support programmatic advertising — includes a deep-dive into foreign-registered apps, including apps from China, Russia, and traditional shell company locations. Our analysts also highlight which “dangerous permissions” app developers request most often.
The 2019 Mobile Advertising Supply Chain Safety Report contains a wealth of insight, split by the potential risks to different audiences. Findings include:
- National Security Risk: Up to 72% of the top 10,000 programmatic-supported Play Store apps in the U.S. are registered in foreign territories, including China, Russia, and traditional shell company locations
- Consumer Privacy Risk: Over 80% of the top apps have “dangerous permissions,” including GPS coordinate access, camera and microphone access, and more
- Ad Fraud (Invalid Traffic) Risk: Over 25% of global programmatic advertising on Android devices is ad fraud (IVT)
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“We were surprised to see the majority of top U.S. apps running programmatic advertising registered in foreign countries,” said Jalal Nasir, CEO of Pixalate. “Given heightened national security concerns — coupled with the plethora of private consumer data app developers can access — we encourage advertisers to pay special attention to the data collection, transmission and storage practices of their app partners.”
Pixalate’s 2019 Mobile Advertising Supply Chain Safety Report also contains detailed information regarding the 881,000 apps that were delisted from the Google Play Store from Q1-Q3 2019, including trends surrounding registration information, “dangerous permissions” requested, and more.
The new report comes on the heels of the U.S. government’s decision to open a national security review of TikTok, a popular Chinese app, and the FBI’s announcement that Russian apps will be treated as “potential counterintelligence threat.”
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