A recent report claims that search engine giant Google could be snooping on Android apps for personal gain. Sources claim that data was used to keep tabs on the usage of Gmail's competitors. This is reportedly possible through an internal program of the company called Android Lockbox.
Android Lockbox
In a report released by The Information, it detailed the Android Lockbox. According to the publication, this particular app monitors the status of basic apps, including session duration, launch frequency, and per country level. The site also shared internal Google documents referring to Android Lockbox as a service that gathers sensitive data of Android users.
Interestingly, it is anonymized and not linked to individual accounts. There is also a mention of 'Magic Eye' team inside Google reportedly tasked to track first-party app usage and utilizes Android Lockbox data to orient executives on the performance of third-party services. Android Lockbox is a part of the Google Mobile Services bundle, including defaults like Google Drive and Gmail.
According to The Information, Google confirmed that it indeed accesses usage data on apps from other developers using Android. However, the search engine giant claimed that it had offered the same functionality to other external developers. The report added that Android Lockbox helped the YouTube team learn about the behavior of Indian Android users on TikTok and its competitors.
YouTube is working on Shorts feature and, through the help of Android Lockbox, would reportedly speed up the launch of TikTok's competitor, Shorts. The report surprisingly revealed that there is an instance where a Googler's request for Android Lockbox information was denied. In this case, it is not clear how this comparative internal data is freely available within the company.
Google Answers
Google also told The Information that while it indeed uses data from rival apps, the program is open, and engineers could access this comparative information. But, unlike other engineers, it is difficult to deny that Google's access to this kind of data is far more extensive, considering that it covers any gadget with pre-installed Google apps. Other designers could only observe data from mobile phones that installed their apps and software.
The Verge reported that it recently received an email from a Google representative. The email states that since 2014, the Android App Usage Data API has been utilized by the search engine giant and Android developers authorized by Android OEMs or users to gain access to basic data on app usage. This includes the frequency apps are opened to improve and analyze services, the email adds.
