Study shows how much personal data popular mobile gaming apps collect

A study by cybersecurity company Surfshark revealed that popular mobile gaming apps collect various information, ranging from location to fitness data, and the majority of them use this information for third-party advertising.

On average, the analyzed mobile gaming apps collect 12 data points. According to Surfshark’s research, widely-used Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and Pokemon are a few of the most data-hungry mobile gaming apps.

How much personal data do popular mobile gaming apps collect?

Cybersecurity company Surfshark ranked 9 popular mobile gaming apps depending on the amount and sensitivity of the information they collect. The research was based on the 32 data types listed by the Apple App Store. The average of the collected data points is 12, however, some apps collect more. Surfshark’s study shows Call of Duty, Candy Crush and Pokemon to be the three most privacy-invasive mobile gaming apps collecting 16 data points.

Candy Crush and Call of Duty use the most, 10 out of 16, collected data points to track their players. The most common information that is used to track players is product interaction data (6 out of 9 examined apps), advertising data (5 out of 9), purchase history (5 out of 9), and coarse location (4 out of 9). These data points can be used to identify potential advertising opportunities and increase user spending.

7 out of 9 examined apps use users’ data for third-party advertising. Minecraft and Roblox, the only two exceptions, are the safer choices when trying to avoid third-party ads or data being shared with other entities while gaming. However, both of these apps still use data for their own advertising or marketing purposes, meaning that there still might be some ads in the game encouraging people to buy loot boxes.

In-app purchases are available in Minecraft and Angry Birds, as well as all the other, analyzed mobile games, allowing users to buy extra coins or capabilities. In some cases, gamers can run up a £2,400 Roblox gaming bill for in-app purchases. Call of Duty has “Limited time offer” purchases that may entice users to buy it out of fear of missing out.

Children are Also Subject to Ads while Gaming

“Gaming is an important part of daily life for many people, including children. It is a place of self-expression and socializing,” says Agneska Sablovskaja, Data Researcher at Surfshark. “However, it’s important to remember that game creators have their own interests in mind, which is not only for the players to enjoy the game but also to buy additional packages for an enhanced experience. That’s where gamers should remember they are subject to various advertising techniques and their freely disclosed data is used to target them.”

The official age rating does not prevent minors from playing, even if the games are designed for adults with frightening and violent elements. Minecraft is the most popular app among UK children ages 6 to 10, with more than half a million children of that age playing it, followed by Angry Birds with less than half a million players. Call of Duty has a 17+ rating but is used by 0.1M 6-10-year-olds in the UK alone. However, kids are not only spending money on games with a higher age rating and violence involved. Fifa, a non-violent sports game that has an age rating of 3+, has in-app purchases as high as $100.

Methodology

The research shows data collection practices of the 9 most known mobile gaming apps on the Apple Store and measures how much data the apps collect based on three pillars: 1) data that is not linked to a user’s identity (such as app crash data) 2) data that could be linked to a user’s identity (such as name) 3) data that could track users across apps and websites (such as user ID). For the full research material behind this study, feel free to visit here.