Research Article
Mobile Handset Privacy: Measuring the Data iOS and Android Send to Apple and Google
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-030-90022-9_12, author={Douglas J. Leith}, title={Mobile Handset Privacy: Measuring the Data iOS and Android Send to Apple and Google}, proceedings={Security and Privacy in Communication Networks. 17th EAI International Conference, SecureComm 2021, Virtual Event, September 6--9, 2021, Proceedings, Part II}, proceedings_a={SECURECOMM PART 2}, year={2021}, month={11}, keywords={Privacy iOS iPhone Google android Google play services}, doi={10.1007/978-3-030-90022-9_12} }- Douglas J. Leith
Year: 2021
Mobile Handset Privacy: Measuring the Data iOS and Android Send to Apple and Google
SECURECOMM PART 2
Springer
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-90022-9_12
Abstract
We investigate what data iOS on an iPhone shares with Apple and what data Google Android on a Pixel phone shares with Google. We find that even when minimally configured and the handset is idle both iOS and Google Android share data with Apple/Google on average every 4.5 mins. The phone IMEI, hardware serial number, SIM serial number and IMSI, handset phone number etc. are shared with Apple and Google. Both iOS and Google Android transmit telemetry, despite the user explicitly opting out of this. When a SIM is inserted both iOS and Google Android send details to Apple/Google. iOS sends the MAC addresses of nearby devices, e.g. other handsets and the home gateway, to Apple together with their GPS location. Users have no opt out from this and currently there are few, if any, realistic options for preventing this data sharing.
