Before and after GDPR: tracking in mobile apps
Third-party tracking, the collection and sharing of behavioural data about individuals, is a significant and ubiquitous privacy threat in mobile apps. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced in 2018 to protect personal data better, but there exists, thus far, limited empirica...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Internet Policy Review |
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| Online Access: | https://policyreview.info/node/1611 |
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| _version_ | 1850073866792075264 |
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| author | Konrad Kollnig Reuben Binns Max Van Kleek Jun Zhao Ulrik Lyngs Claudine Tinsman Nigel Shadbolt |
| author_facet | Konrad Kollnig Reuben Binns Max Van Kleek Jun Zhao Ulrik Lyngs Claudine Tinsman Nigel Shadbolt |
| author_sort | Konrad Kollnig |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Third-party tracking, the collection and sharing of behavioural data about individuals, is a significant and ubiquitous privacy threat in mobile apps. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced in 2018 to protect personal data better, but there exists, thus far, limited empirical evidence about its efficacy. This paper studies tracking in nearly two million Android apps from before and after the introduction of the GDPR. Our analysis suggests that there has been limited change in the presence of third-party tracking in apps, and that the concentration of tracking capabilities among a few large gatekeeper companies persists. However, change might be imminent. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5f2cb64907254aecb007a51dd7820436 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2197-6775 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Internet Policy Review |
| spelling | doaj-art-5f2cb64907254aecb007a51dd78204362025-08-20T02:46:43ZengAlexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and SocietyInternet Policy Review2197-67752021-12-0110410.14763/2021.4.1611Before and after GDPR: tracking in mobile appsKonrad Kollnig0Reuben Binns1Max Van Kleek2Jun Zhao3Ulrik Lyngs4Claudine Tinsman5Nigel Shadbolt6University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordUniversity of OxfordUniversity of OxfordUniversity of OxfordUniversity of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThird-party tracking, the collection and sharing of behavioural data about individuals, is a significant and ubiquitous privacy threat in mobile apps. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced in 2018 to protect personal data better, but there exists, thus far, limited empirical evidence about its efficacy. This paper studies tracking in nearly two million Android apps from before and after the introduction of the GDPR. Our analysis suggests that there has been limited change in the presence of third-party tracking in apps, and that the concentration of tracking capabilities among a few large gatekeeper companies persists. However, change might be imminent.https://policyreview.info/node/1611Personal dataPersonal data protectionMobile appsPrivacyGDPRCompetition |
| spellingShingle | Konrad Kollnig Reuben Binns Max Van Kleek Jun Zhao Ulrik Lyngs Claudine Tinsman Nigel Shadbolt Before and after GDPR: tracking in mobile apps Internet Policy Review Personal data Personal data protection Mobile apps Privacy GDPR Competition |
| title | Before and after GDPR: tracking in mobile apps |
| title_full | Before and after GDPR: tracking in mobile apps |
| title_fullStr | Before and after GDPR: tracking in mobile apps |
| title_full_unstemmed | Before and after GDPR: tracking in mobile apps |
| title_short | Before and after GDPR: tracking in mobile apps |
| title_sort | before and after gdpr tracking in mobile apps |
| topic | Personal data Personal data protection Mobile apps Privacy GDPR Competition |
| url | https://policyreview.info/node/1611 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT konradkollnig beforeandaftergdprtrackinginmobileapps AT reubenbinns beforeandaftergdprtrackinginmobileapps AT maxvankleek beforeandaftergdprtrackinginmobileapps AT junzhao beforeandaftergdprtrackinginmobileapps AT ulriklyngs beforeandaftergdprtrackinginmobileapps AT claudinetinsman beforeandaftergdprtrackinginmobileapps AT nigelshadbolt beforeandaftergdprtrackinginmobileapps |