These 5 Popular Apps Are Secretly Collecting Your Data, and You Should Delete Them

Although they have different features, these apps often request abusive permissions to collect your data.

With the democratization of smartphones came mobile apps. Growing in number every year, it's estimated that the number of apps available on Android is now over 2.8 million. This catalog continues to grow, allowing us to enjoy multiple new uses for our smartphones.

Unfortunately, app developers often need to generate revenue to make a living. Developing and monetizing an app can sometimes be difficult. Therefore, one of the best ways to make money from an app is by collecting users' personal data. As a result, some apps may well use your personal data without your knowledge to exploit it or resell it to other companies.

First, let's talk about weather apps. While they generally only need your location to work (and even then, it's not a requirement), some of them may ask for much more personal information, such as access to your contact list to sell to other companies. Apps like "Clime: Weather Radar Live" reportedly have nearly a dozen trackers, so stick to weather apps that are already built into your phone.

Speaking of radar, it's also worth mentioning car radar detection apps. While these apps might only work with your location or a basic map, they sometimes contain numerous trackers or requests for personal information. This is particularly the case with solutions like "Radarbot" and "Smart Driver."

Even flashlight apps are affected. Your smartphone already has a built-in solution, so why have another one? These third-party apps are usually hotbeds for tracking or collecting personal data.

You also need to be very careful with health tracking apps. Again, choose official apps provided by major manufacturers like Apple or Xiaomi rather than third-party health apps. You never really know where your information about valuable data like your physical or mental condition might end up.

Finally, some well-known games can abuse data access permission requests. This was notably the case with "Angry Birds Rio," which for a time required access to your SMS in order to function (a bug that has since been corrected). Other very popular games, such as the infamous "Candy Crush," can also ask you to monitor your web activity in order to learn about your tastes and preferences and use them for their advertising offers or their partners. It's better to refuse them or even uninstall the application if you don't use it.