FB, Insta collect all the data they can: Report

SAN FRANCISCO: Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram are the two most privacy-invasive apps out there, a new report has revealed.

The cybersecurity company Surfshark conducted research analysing 100 popular apps, and they discovered that Facebook and Instagram were the most "data-hungry" of all.

It ranked apps according to 32 criteria that are included in Apple's privacy policy, such as payment information, browsing history, and exact location.

"Since Instagram and Facebook are products of Meta Platforms, it's no surprise these two apps collect and handle data the same way," the researchers said.

"Both apps collect all 32 data points defined by Apple and are the only two to do so," they added.

Facebook and Instagram used seven of the 32 user data points, including name, physical address, and phone number -- for tracking.

The remaining were connected to user identity but not used for tracking, the report noted.

Although X (formerly Twitter) gathered less user data, it was the least reluctant to share it with outside parties.

Nearly half of the 22 data pieces it gathered and associated with individuals were used for tracking.

Overall, 10 social media and messaging applications were included in the research, and it was discovered that these apps collected more user data than the average amount.

Meanwhile, a US judge has ruled that Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg must participate in a deposition as part of an ongoing lawsuit in Texas concerning the company's face recognition technology.

According to a ruling made by Justice Jeff Rambin on Tuesday, the state court has rejected Meta's recent appeal "seeking relief from an order compelling the oral deposition" of Zuckerberg at an undisclosed date, reports CNBC.