According to a new report released on Google, an internal Google program known as “Android Lockbox” may give company employees access to information about how Android users interact with popular non-Google apps and services. Information. The program, which works through Google Mobile Services, means that employees can view “confidential” data about other applications, including how often they are opened and how long they are used.
Sources claim that this information has been used to control rivals of Google’s Gmail service or to monitor the use of Facebook and Instagram. It is also believed that Google used it to plan the launch of its competitor TikTok, Shorts. Information It notes that Google employees have to request permission to view this data in some cases, and that these requests are sometimes denied.
The report comes as Google’s business faces intense antitrust scrutiny in the United States. Google CEO Sundar Pichai must testify in Congress; The company faces an antitrust investigation by almost every U.S. state, and the Justice Department reportedly plans to file an antitrust case of its own. Although these investigations are believed to focus on the company’s search and advertising businesses, it is unlikely that discoveries of possible unfair Android business practices will be uncovered.
Information reports that Android Lockbox gets its most useful information when users agree to share information with Google as part of the Android setup process. Users are told that this data allows Google to offer a more personalized experience, but Information He says he also provides data for competitive research.
Answering to InformationAccording to the report, Google admitted that it has access to usage data from rival applications, but said that the program is public and that other developers can also access similar data. However, it is believed that Google’s reach with the program is much greater, since it covers any device with Google’s pre-installed applications, while other developers can only see the information of the phones that have their applications. Google said the data does not provide information on how people behave while using individual applications, but did not say whether the data had been used to develop competing applications.
The data collected is anonymous and is not personally identifiable, Information He says. Google says the data collection is disclosed to users and that they have control over it.
If true, Google would not be the only company that has attempted to collect phone data on competing services. In 2017, a report by The Wall Street Journal He said Facebook used a VPN service that it owns, Onavo, to monitor rival services and plan its acquisitions, such as WhatsApp. The app closed in 2019.
