As smartphones enter every aspect of our lives, user data has also become important. State organizations want to track their citizens with this data. A warning was made that Apple and Google could distribute user data to states in this regard. A US Senator thinks Android and iOS owners are being tracked.
Are Android and iOS devices monitored by governments?
US Senator Ron Wyden stated that smartphone users are being tracked. In a new letter to the Department of Justice, Wyden alleged that certain governments were spying on iOS and Android users through certain apps. He said he uses push notifications for this.
He pointed out that messages sent from applications to smartphones could be used by the government. According to the senator, technology giants can hand over user data to governments with instant notifications.
Development from Android that will make iOS users jealous!
Cloud storage app Proton Drive has developed a tool for Android users. It is unclear when this feature will come to iOS.
The US senator also underlined that governments can threaten Apple and Google. He stated that it can collect information about how users interact with applications through notifications, including notification contents.
Such data can reveal private details about app usage habits and activities. Wyden says Apple and Google need to be transparent about the requests they receive from foreign organizations for push notification records.
Both companies confirmed that such surveillance requests have been made in the past. Upon Wyden’s request, Apple and Google expressed their support for transparency on this issue. Apple said it will report push notification requests in its transparency reports. Google, on the other hand, currently discloses the data requested by states.