Today a friend of mine pointed out to an article on peabea.substack.com indicating how apps installed on our mobile phones spy on what other apps are running on the mobile. He specially pointed out how the “AndoriodManifest.xml” file which he extracted for Swiggy APK indicated the presence of the following 154 package names allowing the Swiggy app to query those apps on the phone.
I have not personally checked the APK file on my mobile. I invite professionals to check the AndroidManisfest.xml files of different apps and try to establish the need why Swiggy should need to know if naukri app or dacthalon app is on my mobile.
If the above observation is correct, then there is a need for us to keep such apps on privacy watch so that we can raise the issue with DPB when it is in place.
I also want any of the apps present in the list above have permitted Swiggy to extract any information about the activities of their apps. Also if Swiggy or other apps like Zepto quoted the article have any counter view, we request them to respond.
The article also points out that one of the Loan apps namely Kreditbee watches 860 apps on a mobile.
It is obvious that the apps are developed with no concern on “Purpose Based Information Collection” and each of these companies can face the penalty of Rs 250 crore plus from DPB and the consolidated fund of India would be enriched.
I invite the attention of Mrs Nirmala Seetharaman to take this revenue potential into consideration and push MeitY to establish DPB without further delay so that they can start sending our inquiry notices to all these apps.
I welcome your views.
Naavi
