This Chinese Selfie App Is Spying On Your Smartphone

This Chinese Selfie App Is Spying On Your Smartphone

According to report, a selfie app Meitu collects your smartphone data and send it to Chinese Server.

Meitu is available for both Android and iPhone and its very popular app since 2008. The app request to your Camera, Photos, GPS Location, Sim Card information, Wi-Fi connection status and many other personal identities from your smartphone, in iOS app it's also check if your iPhone is Jailbroken or not. Meitu also wants to run on startup automatically.

Here is the question arise why does one photo-editing selfie app need our Locations and other private information details ?

According to security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski, the company is selling your phone data to companies who will target you with advertising as per your search.

Only thing I can ding Meitu for is using so many ad trackers; it’s ones like Google AdMob “Reward Based Video Ad Network” that are evil. pic.twitter.com/vNuigobWqg

— Jonathan Zdziarski (@JZdziarski) January 20, 2017

In the privacy policy company said, We may collect the following information.

1) Cookies and similar technologies. When Meitu requests an advertiser or other partner to deliver ads or offer services to your equipment, Meitu or the third party may apply cookies and similar technologies.
2) Equipment or software information, such as the configuration information provided by your mobile equipment, web browser or other programs used to access our services, your IP address and the version and IMEI of the mobile equipment used, operating system information and network information.

Meitu told to CNET in a statement that the data collection code was included because the company is headquartered in China, where tracking services provided by app stores such as the Apple App Store and Google Play are blocked.

"To get around this, Meitu employs a combination of third-party and in-house data tracking systems to make sure the user data tracked is consistent," said a Meitu spokesperson.
"Furthermore, the data collected is sent securely, using multilayer encryption to servers equipped with advanced firewall, IDS and IPS protection to block external attacks."

But Meitu denies to selling collected of user data.