MILLIONS of Android and iPhone users have been warned that Russian search engine Yandax could be harvesting their data.
Many people are worried about this data being shared with the Russian government, as tensions between Russia and the US increase.
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted the US and other Western countries to intact unseen sanctions on the country.
Companies have also paused or discontinued business within Russia as a way to protest the invasion.
With that backdrop, one of Russia’s internet search companies, Yandax, has the ability to collect user data worldwide, according to BGR.com
Many are worried that the company could either use that data to track people or turn it over to the Russian government and its spy agencies, it adds.
Users that don’t directly use Yandax’s services are also at risk.
Just by downloading one of the thousands of apps that use Yandax’s SDK, data can reportedly be harvested without your knowledge.
The SDK acronym is short for software developer kit, according to IBM.com
Researcher Zach Edwards first discovered the data collection practices. Edwards analyzed Yandax’s code while participating in an app auditing campaign.
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His discoveries were then checked by four independent experts who ran tests for The Financial Times.
The company did confirm that they do collect device, network, and IP addresses from smartphone users and store the data on servers in Russia and Finland, according to the article.
They also admitted that it is possible to track someone based on this data but also said that the company couldn’t do something like that.
Out of the millions of apps available to users, about 52,000 of them contain Yandax’s SDK.
This SDK can also be free to those who decide to build their own apps but in return, the developers want the user data, according to the website.
Apps for games, messaging, location tools and VPNs can contain this SDK.
Even apps that are decided specifically for the people of Ukraine have it.
Many worry about the increased security risk for those individuals especially.
The company has stated that its SDK works similar to Google’s Firebase, where user data is collected only after a user consents, according to the website.
However, their SDK doesn’t have to ask for user permission to track location, that is up to a developer, who doesn’t have to include that feature if no laws require it.
To see if the apps on your phone have these features check with the developer to see if their app uses the AppMetrica SDK.
It’s also advised not to install suspicious apps on your phone, even if they come from a trusted source.
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