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The world of mobile apps is really competitive. And it is that it is a very wide and diverse market, but in which only a few really succeed. But how do you know what they are? Very easy, knowing what applications are used on the mobile. Something that Pokémon GO has started to do after a change in its privacy policies. Yes, now Pokémon GO is spying on you
And it is that from Niantic, creators of Pokémon GO, they have decided to introduce some recent changes in the privacy policies of the gameWe are talking about a very specific point with which they allow the collection of information from the user's terminal. The difference is that, apart from the operating system, now they can also know what other applications you use on your mobile.
New privacy policies
Niantic had Privacy Policies that remained unchanged since December 21, 2016. However, on November 1, it decided to introduce a change. A very specific one that focuses on the information from the user's mobile device Thus, what in 2016 was the “information sent by your mobile device” section, from now on it is “information from your mobile device”. This is what it consists of:
We collect certain information about your (or your authorized minor's) mobile device when you (or your authorized minor) use our Services, such as a device identifier, user settings, operating system of your (or your authorized minor's) device, information about other applications installed on your (or your authorized minor's) mobile device, as well as information about your use of our Services while using the mobile device.We may use this information to provide the Services and to improve and personalize our Services for you (or your authorized minor).
What is remarkable, as reflected in the Terms and Conditions system, created by Jorge Morell Ramos (@Jorge_Morell on Twitter), comes hand in hand with applications. And we can see the difference with respect to the 2016 policies in the phrase “information about other applications installed on your mobile device” A reference that did not appear in 2016. But what does it mean?
Too common practice that is then used to find out which game, app or feature is most popular and copy/buy it. That they ask Facebook
- Jorge Morell Ramos (@Jorge_Morell) November 5, 2017
An all too common practice
As lawyer Jorge Morell explains on his Twitter, this policy change is common in Internet companies and services.Its purpose, it seems, would be to find out which applications are being used the most around the world. All this by collecting the information directly from the mobiles in which their own applications are installed.
In this way, a real trend is known about which applications or games are most installed and popular. Why depends on each company. According to Morell, the main reason would be to find out about other important applications and companies of the moment to acquire them And the fact is that Facebook has been using this practice for quite some time already.
Now, in the case of Niantic the question is more doubtful. From tuexperto.com we have contacted them to try to clarify this whole issue. And is that Are you looking to acquire a popular game that reduces your audience? Are you looking for your most direct competitors? Are you looking to know in detail the profile of Pokémon GO players? These are issues that are not clarified by their privacy policies.
In fact, as in most privacy policies of different applications, games and services, all this information collection has a single declared objective: to improve the services offeredOr, according to Niantic: “We may use this information to provide the Services and to improve and personalize our Services for you (or your authorized minor)”. A point that is not clear and too generic, on the other hand.
We will update this information as soon as we have details from Niantic.
