About One Fifth Of Android Apps Exploit Private Data [REPORT]

The Android Market has about 48,000 applications as of right now, of which 20% of that number has access to sensitive and/or private information according to a report released this past week by SMobile Systems.

Some of these applications can make calls and send text messages without the mobile owner doing anything.  About 5% of the apps can make calls and 2% can send unknown SMS messages to premium numbers according to SMobile.

Many of these applications have the same type of sensitive information as spyware does including e-mails and text message content according to SMobile CTO Dan Hoffman.  Yikes.  Perhaps its time for Google to start closely monitoring applications that are submitted to their app store.

[CNET]

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