Daybreak What Swiggy, Zepto & Cred know about your phone
21 snips
Aug 26, 2025 Abhirami, a colleague at The Ken, joins to discuss the alarming data practices of Indian startups like Swiggy and Zepto. She sheds light on how these apps exploit Google Play's rules to access users’ personal data, often snooping on other installed apps. The conversation delves into growing concerns around data security breaches and the alarming indifference of Indian companies toward user privacy. Abhirami also explores what consumers can do to safeguard their information in this precarious digital landscape.
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Apps Are Secretly Scanning Your Phone
- PB found many Indian apps scan other installed apps on Android, bypassing Google Play rules.
- This reveals startups aggressively harvesting app-list data to profile users in real time.
Profiling Powers Targeted Nudges
- Startups use app-list and usage data to build detailed user profiles for targeting.
- Such profiling yields accurate behavioural inferences like gaming, gambling, or social habits.
Watch Third-Party Analytics SDKs
- Data.ai and similar aggregators bundle tracking tools that harvest app-usage statistics and sell aggregated profiles.
- Avoid granting broad permissions to apps that include third-party analytics SDKs you don't trust.