These mobile games collect maximum data of Indian users – Times of India

Both Google and Apple have measures in place to keep users’ privacy intact. They also offer options to their users to choose when the installed apps and games can access user data. A new report has now listed the mobiles games that are collecting maximum amount of user data in India and worldwide.
In India, well-known mobile games like Call of Duty Mobile, Candy Crush Saga and Carrom Pool: Disc Game are the most data-hungry games. These games collect up to 17 out of 32 different data points, including photos and videos, contact information, location data and contacts, a new report by cybersecurity company Surfshark said.
Ludo King and Subway Surfers are ranked 38th and 7th, respectively, when it comes to ‘data hungriness’. Subway Surfers game collects data such as contact information and location data.

Data is used for advertising
The report also said out of the 50 mobile gaming apps popular in India, 38 of them employ or share users’ data for third-party advertising purposes. Both Ludo King and Subway Surfers use data for third-party advertising, the report noted. It also highlighted that there are three games that collect the precise user location.
Why data sharing can be ‘dangerous’
Data sharing has been an increasing problem in recent times. When apps collect precise location data, they can potentially reveal sensitive information, such as users’ home addresses, workplaces, daily routines, or frequently visited locations.
“A significant number of gamers are unknowingly granting permission to share their personal data, unaware of where it ends up,” news agency IANS cited Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, a spokesperson at Surfshark, as saying.
This data can be exploited for purposes that extend beyond gaming, such as targeted marketing or market research.

“In our global study of 510 mobile gaming apps, we discovered that the majority use activity tracking across other companies’ apps and websites and could transmit data to third parties, which may include tech companies, advertisers, or data brokers,” the spokesperson added.
Most data hungry games globally
Out of the total 510 most popular games across 60 countries, 492 collect user data and 446 allow tracking across other companies’ apps and websites. Globally, 8 Ball Pool is the most data-hungry app among the top 10 apps, followed by Subway Surfers and Gardenscapes.
Traffic Rider, Mini Militia-War.io and Among Us were the least invasive to privacy. They collect up to 7 data points, the report noted.