Unveiling the Extensive Data Tracking on Android Smartphones

Recent research reveals that smartphone users have long lost control over their personal data.

An in-depth analysis of several widely-used Android devices uncovered that massive volumes of data are continuously transmitted from these devices to the internet, often without users' knowledge or ability to prevent it. This investigation was conducted by experts from Trinity College Dublin and the University of Edinburgh.

Professor Doug Leith from Dublin, alongside Dr. Paul Patras and Hao Liu from Edinburgh, examined data sent from six Android OS variants developed by Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Realme, LineageOS, and e/OS. Their findings indicate that even when phones are idle and minimally configured, manufacturer-customized Android versions send significant amounts of information to the OS developers and third parties such as Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

The researchers emphasize that this data transmission far exceeds standard user agreements, raising serious privacy issues.

Paul Patras highlighted that current personal data protection laws in the EU, Canada, and South Korea are largely ineffective. Data collection occurs 'under the hood' without user awareness or accessible options to disable it.

Except for e/OS, all examined firmware collect lists of installed applications, potentially revealing sensitive details about users’ interests, health status, orientation, religion, or political views.

• Xiaomi phones send detailed information about all app screens viewed by users, including when and how long each app is active. This data can reveal call durations and times, resembling cookie-based tracking of online activity. These details appear to be sent to servers in Singapore.
• On Huawei devices, the SwiftKey keyboard transmits usage data to Microsoft, such as when users type, use the search bar, or look up contacts.
• Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, and Google collect device identifiers like hardware serial numbers and user-resettable advertising IDs, making it possible to link new identifiers back to the same device.
• Pre-installed third-party system apps from Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Facebook continuously gather data without notifying users.

The scientists suggest a vast data ecosystem may exist, where all collected smartphone information is interconnected.

"We believe there has been a significant oversight regarding the mass, ongoing data collection by our phones, which users cannot opt out of. Much focus has been placed on web cookies and misbehaving apps, but this issue is far broader."

"We hope this study serves as a wake-up call for the public, policymakers, and regulators. Immediate and robust actions are necessary to empower individuals with genuine control over the data leaving their phones."

Doug Leith
Head of Computer Systems, School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College Dublin

*Note: Meta Platforms Inc. and its social networks Facebook and Instagram are restricted in certain regions.

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