Mobile games have sparked significant interest all over the world, including in India. Mobile games have evolved in almost every aspect, including graphics, user interface, and overall experience, and with increasing space, the games are also collecting data. According to a recent report, Call of Duty Mobile, Candy Crush Saga, and Carrom Pool: Disc Game are among the most data-taking applications, taking up to 17 out of 32 different data points such as media, contacts, location, and more.
According to cyber-security firm Surfshark, other well-known games like Ludo King and Subway Surfers are ranked 38th and 7th, respectively, based on their "data hungriness." In the meantime, the well-known game Subway Surfers gathers 9.3 on average, including contact and geographic information.
In India, there are 50 prominent mobile gaming applications; 38 of them use or exchange user data for third-party advertising. Three games also track the specific user position. Apps that gather precise location data may be able to reveal private information about users, like their home addresses, workplaces, daily schedules, or frequently visited locations.
According to Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, a spokesman for Surfshark, A significant number of gamers are unknowingly granting permission to share their personal data, unaware of where it ends up."
" In our global analysis of 510 mobile gaming apps, we revealed that the vast majority use activity tracking across other companies' apps and websites and have the ability to transfer data to third parties, which might include tech companies, advertising, or data brokers," the spokesperson added.
Beyond gaming, this information can be used for things like market research or targeted advertising. The top 10 apps in terms of data use include 8 Ball Pool, Subway Surfers, and Gardenscapes. The games with the least privacy invasion as per the report’s investigation were Traffic Rider, Mini Militia-War.io, and Among Us. They gather as many as 7 data points. Out of the 510 most played games across 60 countries, 492 collect user information, and 446 permit monitoring across the apps and websites of other businesses.