Popular apps like Yelp send your data to Facebook even in case you aren’t on Facebook, privacy watchdog says

Some Android apps which include Yelp retain to send information to Facebook despite the fact that the tool proprietor doesn’t have a Facebook account, in step with a privacy watchdog institution.

U.K.-based totally non-profit Privacy International analyzed the records of 34 popular Android apps with 10 million to 500 million installs. In a December document, it determined that two-thirds, or 23, apps mechanically sent data to Facebook. While a few apps have given that been corrected, now not all have, Privacy International stated in an up to date document.

Android versions of Yelp, process search app Indeed, language app Duolingo, the King James Bible app, and Muslim prayer apps Qibla Connect and Muslim Pro retain to ship records to Facebook irrespective of whether or not users have an account at the social network or are logged out, in step with the document.

Some variations of the apps for Apple iOS devices also “showcase similar conduct,” the institution said.

The action is “hugely complicated” in that it now not handiest invades customers’ privateness but also puts competing apps at a drawback, Privacy International record says. “Since such a lot of apps nevertheless ship this sort of statistics to Facebook, this may supply the enterprise an fantastic perception into a large proportion of the app atmosphere.”

The institution stated it had introduced the problem to the eye of European Union regulators and contacted the various app makers.

Facebook said, in an assertion sent to USA TODAY, “It’s not unusual for builders to percentage information with a wide variety of structures for advertising and analytics. We require app builders to be clean with their users about the data they may be gathering and what they’re doing with it, and we limit app builders from sending us sensitive statistics.”

The social network, the statement persisted, additionally takes “steps to detect and remove data that must no longer be shared with us. Additionally, we’re planning a proactive outreach to builders past our existing notifications and emails to push adoption of the modern version of (its software program developers package).”

Yelp, in an announcement, despatched to USA TODAY, stated it is Android app “does now not additionally send private statistics to Facebook at launch.”

However, the app “might also transmit a tool’s anonymous marketing ID to Facebook” as part of the manner in how it runs advert campaigns for its apps on Facebook, Yelp stated. “This use is defined in Yelp’s Privacy Policy and Android customers can, at any time, choose to disclaim get entry to the advertising ID through Android settings.”

In its declaration despatched to Privacy International and shared with USA TODAY, Duolingo said it thanked the organization “for their crucial paintings raising awareness of this difficulty. As part of our ongoing dedication to privacy, we’re removing the … Component from each the Android and iOS apps within the subsequent model releases.”

In December, Privacy International stated it examined many popular apps, along with Spotify, and found it automatically sent information to Facebook. In a retest, PI found Spotify and two-thirds of the apps had “updated their apps so that they now not touch Facebook whilst you open the app,” its document stated.

The replace comes as Facebook said it became shifting ahead on its plans to mix its Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp apps in a move to make messaging greater “privateness-targeted,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Wednesday.

Facebook has faced several privacy-invading incidents over the past few years, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal in which as many as 87 million had their information improperly shared. “Many people don’t think Facebook can or could even want to construct this form of privateness-centered platform – due to the fact frankly, we don’t presently have strong popularity for constructing privacy shielding services,” Zuckerberg wrote in the weblog post.

Heightened regulatory scrutiny should hamper Facebook’s approach, stated Scott Devitt, an analyst with funding financial institution Stifel. “We agree with Facebook sits in the precarious role of looking to shield the golden goose of engagement-and-records-driven advertising revenue whilst pivoting to a new privacy-centric enterprise version to create the perception of addressing flaws of the past,” he said. “Facebook will make this try even as integrating the very assets that would be targeted for separation by means of worldwide regulators.”