{
  "id": 6437694,
  "title": "Your favorite app is silently collecting your browsing history, Surfshark warns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/your-favorite-app-is-silently-collecting-your-browsing-history",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-09T15:51:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/your-favorite-app-is-silently-collecting-your-browsing-history-surfshark-warns"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent investigation by Surfshark has revealed that a substantial number of popular mobile applications are secretly logging users' browsing history. The cybersecurity company examined 40 leading apps across four categories, including generative AI, social media, e-commerce, and messaging. Shockingly, 18 of these apps, or 45%, were found to be collecting users' browsing history in their app store privacy labels.\n\nSocial media applications emerged as the worst offenders, with nine out of the ten social apps analyzed tracking browsing history on at least one platform. This includes popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, and Pinterest, which monitor users' online activities on both Android and iOS devices. Additionally, Reddit, LinkedIn, and Snapchat are found to collect browsing history on Android devices only.\n\nE-commerce apps followed closely, with half of the shopping apps studied gathering users' browsing history on at least one platform. Messaging apps showed relatively lower interest, with only Rakuten Viber, Messenger, and LINE recording this data.\n\nSurfshark's lead system engineer, Karolis Kaciulis, explains that many apps now redirect external links through their own embedded browsers, allowing them to track users' online activities. While understanding that this data collection is not essential for the apps' functionality, the practice is primarily driven by the desire to target ads and curate content more precisely.\n\nAlthough there is no universal solution to prevent this, users can take steps to minimize the impact. One easy method is to avoid using in-app browsers, and instead opt for the \"Open in default browser\" option or manually inputting URLs into the default browser. Additionally, switching to a privacy-focused web browser can help limit data collection to a greater extent.",
  "summary": "A new Surfshark study finds 45% of the world's most popular mobile apps report collecting your browsing history, with social media apps being the worst offenders. Here is who is doing it, why, and how to stay private.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}