Data Safety labels for apps on Google Play misleading: Mozilla study

(Image Courtesy: Google)

The so-called Data Safety labels for apps on Google's Play Store on Android are misleading, a study by researchers of Mozilla's Privacy Not Included guide has found.

They found discrepancies in the labels and privacy policies of nearly 80 percent of the apps reviewed.

Google Play's labels, for instance, say that TikTok and Twitter do not share personal data with third parties but the apps' privacy policies say the information is shared with advertisers, ISPs, platforms and more.

"Mozilla found that the labels were false or misleading based on discrepancies between the apps’ privacy policies and the information apps self-reported on Google’s Data Safety Form," Mozilla said in a blog post.

The system fails in helping consumers make informed choices, it said. The report also highlighted that Google absolves itself of the responsibility by putting the onus on app developers. It states that they "are responsible for making complete and accurate declarations".

The research team reviewed 40 of the Play Store's most popular apps and found that 80 percent had false information and 40 percent had "major discrepancies between their privacy policies and their Data Safety Forms". Just six out of the 40 apps had "few to no discrepancies between their privacy policies and their Data Safety Form".