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The Paris Olympic apps are part of massive eavesdropping exercises. Unsurprisingly, even the official Paris 2024 Olympics app is actively involved in collecting user data and sending it to advertisers.
Paris Olympic apps aren’t even hiding their eavesdropping agendas
The Paris Olympics apps are eavesdropping in the name of security. Even the French capital has invested in AI video surveillance to effectively monitor huge swaths of spectators.
The biggest beneficiaries, however, are the app developers who have deployed dozens of platforms to help internet and smartphone users follow the Olympics. The official Paris 2024 Olympics app too is part of massive eavesdropping.
▪️@CyberNews research▪️ Apps for the Paris Olympic Games 2024 are tracking users, extracting private data, and peddling it to advertisers and big tech.#ParisOlympics #Olympics #dataprivacy #data #app #cybersecurity #infosec #Paris2024 https://t.co/1h3BgbeX3n
— CyberNews (@CyberNews) July 30, 2024
The Paris 2024 Olympics app provides schedules, breaking news, medal results, insights into events, qualifiers, and much more. It has more than 10 million downloads on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Interestingly, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) admits the Paris 2024 Olympics app collects personal data, builds user profiles, and shares data with advertisers. It is concerning to note that visitors to the Paris Olympics will mandatorily need to download and use the app.
App users have to allow access to get the “best experience”
Apps routinely demand users permit them to access location, phone, messages, and other data on the device. This treasure trove of data is passed on to advertisers to be used to push customized ads.
Some of the popular apps such as Bonjour RATP, TheFork, Citymapper, and many others collect as many as 18 data points. Publishers then share most of this data with third parties. This could mean app developers are eavesdropping on visitors and openly profiting from them.
Paris 2024 Olympic apps are under scrutiny for extensive data collection and privacy issues. These apps, designed to enhance the Olympic experience, are tracking personal data and sharing it with advertisers. 📲🔒#Olympics #Paris2024 #Data #Privacy #Security…
— Cyber News Live (@cybernewslive) July 31, 2024
The concerning aspect is that some apps collect precise location data for their core functionality. In other words, users have to grant “Location” permission if they want the app to function on their device. Some examples of such apps include the Paris 2024 Olympics, Paris 2024 Public Transport, and the Paris 2024 Transport Accred.
Apps that claim they do not collect data need some concerning permissions. According to CyberNews, several popular apps ask users for permission to read and write to external storage, read and write contacts, check and update calendars, and access media files on the device.
The Paris 2024 Olympics app, for example, requests permission to access precise locations and cameras. It wants users to allow the app to record audio, read media images and videos, modify audio settings, and even access high-sampling rate sensors.
Needless to say, requesting so many permissions is alarming, and users should exercise caution. If that’s not scary enough, there are several fake apps and scams designed around the Paris Olympics. Hence smartphone users must be very selective about the apps they download on their devices.