Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have revealed that various mobile apps collect and transmit user data even when they are not being used, The Boston Globe reports. Some of the apps tested by Frances Zhang and Fuming Shih gather and share information such as location, contacts and web browsing histories. Zhang and Shih aim to turn their work into an app privacy rating system, including an “intrusiveness score,” to help users quickly understand app privacy policies and how much personal data apps collect, the report states. Zhang said, “Over time, we hope to use this to motivate developers to be more careful about their privacy policies.”
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