Kudos1 Stats

Trackers in Norton Android Apps

Posted: 02-Jun-2022 | 10:12AM · 7 Replies ·

I find it curious that Norton is selling AntiTrack, but apparently allowing 3rd party trackers in their mobile apps.

I recently started using DuckDuckGo and was invited to use their beta version of their App Tracking Protection. This is monitoring the apps I have on my phone and is blocking (I assume) attempts by 3rd parties in the various apps from collecting data.  In the past 7 days, the service reports that it has blocked 3695 tracking attempts in 30 apps on my phone.  What surprised me is that these Android apps from Norton were flagged.

  • Norton Password Manager - Most used app on my phone.  Multiple tracking attempts daily by Microsoft. Very concerned about this one since it is my password manager of choice. How is Microsoft not getting my logins?
  • Norton 360 - A single tracking attempt by Google.
  • Secure VPN - Just downloaded it yesterday after finding it wasn't part of Norton 360 for mobile.  Both Google and Facebook were flagged as attempting to collect data from my phone. I've never had a Facebook account.

If Norton is providing an AntiTrack product, I suggest they clean up the mobile apps as well.

Replies

Kudos0

Re: Trackers in Norton Android Apps

Posted: 12-Jun-2022 | 7:06AM · Edited: 12-Jun-2022 | 7:21AM · Permalink

The notices you have say "x attempts known to collect...." Do all apps flagged by DuckDuckGo  use the same wording? 

I may also be misinterpreting the results, but it looks like those trackers would be coming from a browser trying to access those apps. The apps themselves do not have trackers in them.

FYI There is a VPN feature in both 360 Android and 360 iOS. 

Kudos0

Re: Trackers in Norton Android Apps

Posted: 12-Jun-2022 | 8:40AM · Edited: 12-Jun-2022 | 8:42AM · Permalink

To answer your first question.  DDG uses the same wording.  What changes is the list of data that is collected.  You will notice under the list of 5 items, there is a link to "show xx more". You will see that in the screen shots the 3rd parties are known to collect more data.

You are misinterpreting the results. The third party trackers are embedded in various apps.  This explanation from an article on AndroidCentral "DuckDuckGo's new feature aims to fix one of the worst things about Android" published November 22, 2021

"Many of today's best Android phones lack a feature similar to Apple's App Tracking Transparency, which allows you to prevent third-party apps from tracking you online. DuckDuckGo, a privacy-focused browser, has added a new feature to address this flaw.

The company has announced the availability of its new App Tracking Protection feature, which allows you to block trackers embedded in various Android apps. DuckDuckGo explained in a blog post that "trackers it identifies in other apps from third-party companies" will be prohibited from tracking your online activities."

Since the third party trackers are embedded in your apps, what is it to stop them from gathering more data from within the app?  Since you are a security company that I have trusted for many years, I see this as a possible breach of security. 

By the way, most if not all of my financial apps are in the same boat.  I am having discussions with them as well. 

Kudos0

Re: Trackers in Norton Android Apps

Posted: 12-Jun-2022 | 9:31AM · Permalink

To clarify, I am not a Norton employee. Just a user like you that volunteers my time to try to help others with my experience with the Norton products. 

Have you asked DuckDuckGo users for interpretation of the messages? I still think the app is reporting which trackers may be trying to access the Norton apps, and all your banking apps. 

I'll also escalate this thread to my Norton contacts to see what they can add to this conversation.

Kudos0

Re: Trackers in Norton Android Apps

Posted: 12-Jun-2022 | 10:26AM · Permalink

I'm sorry to think you were an employee.  I do appreciate that someone is finally commenting on my post and is passing this up to your Norton contacts.

I have not asked DDG for interpretation of the messages. I found the DDG documentation to be very thorough in the explanation of what is happening. 

The only thing I find troubling is these 3rd party trackers are in these apps at all. Unless they are hacked in without the developers knowledge somehow, they have to be embedded in the code due to some agreement. 

I used to do coding for automation.  When I was contacted with a problem, I always asked for a backup of the code currently on the machine. First thing I did was compare the backup with what was shipped. I assume that what is posted to Google Play can be downloaded and compared in the same or similar way.

Kudos0

Re: Trackers in Norton Android Apps

Posted: 12-Jun-2022 | 10:44AM · Permalink

I have also done a little more research on DDG and this tracking feature. It does appear that it is reporting the trackers within the app noted. I have asked my contacts for any comment that can be made publicly, so not sure if I will hear anything as I have not signed any NDA and am not privy to proprietary information. But I will pass along anything they tell me.

BTW were you aware that DDG is allowing Microsoft to track users? See this androidpolice dot com article.   https://www.androidpolice.com/duckduckgo-privacy-browser-caught-permitti...

Kudos0

Re: Trackers in Norton Android Apps

Posted: 12-Jun-2022 | 1:31PM · Edited: 12-Jun-2022 | 1:35PM · Permalink

Yes I am. I think that applies to the DDG browser and not the app tracker. I say this because Microsoft has shown up as being embedded in other apps and being blocked. In fact the Norton Password Manager in the screenshots above was a block of Microsoft.

Kudos0

Re: Trackers in Norton Android Apps

Posted: 01-Jul-2022 | 2:40PM · Permalink

I have not forgotten you. But it appears my contacts are too busy to get back to me. I'll try again.

This thread is closed from further comment. Please visit the forum to start a new thread.