App privacy labels show stark contrasts among messaging apps

Apple’s new app privacy labels went live in the App Store last month, giving users the chance to see what data is collected by each. We then explained how to view them.

All apps are required to show what data is used to track you, and what data is linked to your identity. Looking at that more comprehensive category reveals some stark differences between four popular messaging apps…

App privacy labels for messaging apps

Forbes compared Signal, Apple’s own iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Signal

None. (The only personal data Signal stores is your phone number, and it makes no attempt to link that to your identity.)

iMessage

• Email address
• Phone number
• Search history
• Device ID

WhatsApp

• Device ID
• User ID
• Advertising Data
• Purchase History
• Coarse Location
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Contacts
• Product Interaction
• Crash Data
• Performance Data
• Other Diagnostic Data
• Payment Info
• Customer Support
• Product Interaction
• Other User Content

Facebook Messenger

Apps have to show what data is used in what way — categorized by such things as third-party advertising and developer marketing. Some data is shown in more than one category, but it was easy enough to de-dupe them in the above apps. With Facebook Messenger, in contrast, the list is so long I have to list it in full.

Third-Party Advertising

Purchases

• Purchase History

Financial Info

• Other Financial Info

Location

• Precise Location
• Coarse Location

Contact Info

• Physical Address
• Email Address
• Name
• Phone Number
• Other User Contact Info

Contacts

• Contacts

User Content

• Photos or Videos
• Gameplay Content
• Other User Content

Search History

• Search History

Browsing History

• Browsing History

Identifiers

• User ID
• Device ID

Usage Data

• Product Interaction
• Advertising Data
• Other Usage Data

Diagnostics

• Crash Data
• Performance Data
• Other Diagnostic Data

Other Data

• Other Data Types

Developer’s Advertising or Marketing

Purchases

• Purchase History

Financial Info

• Other Financial Info

Location

• Precise Location
• Coarse Location

Contact Info

• Physical Address
• Email Address
• Name
• Phone Number
• Other User Contact Info

Contacts

• Contacts

User Content

• Photos or Videos
• Gameplay Content
• Other User Content

Search History

• Search History

Browsing History

• Browsing History

Identifiers

• User ID
• Device ID

Usage Data

• Product Interaction
• Advertising Data
• Other Usage Data

Diagnostics

• Crash Data
• Performance Data
• Other Diagnostic Data

Other Data

• Other Data Types

Analytics

Health & Fitness

• Health
• Fitness

Purchases

• Purchase History

Financial Info

• Payment Info
• Other Financial Info

Location

• Precise Location
• Coarse Location

Contact Info

• Physical Address
• Email Address
• Name
• Phone Number
• Other User Contact Info

Contacts

• Contacts

User Content

• Photos or Videos
• Audio Data
• Gameplay Content
• Customer Support
• Other User Content

Search History

• Search History

Browsing History

• Browsing History

Identifiers

• User ID
• Device ID

Usage Data

• Product Interaction
• Advertising Data
• Other Usage Data

Sensitive Info

• Sensitive Info

Diagnostics

• Crash Data
• Performance Data
• Other Diagnostic Data

Other Data

• Other Data Types

Product Personalization

Purchases

• Purchase History

Financial Info

• Other Financial Info

Location

• Precise Location
• Coarse Location

Contact Info

• Physical Address
• Email Address
• Name
• Phone Number
• Other User Contact Info

Contacts

• Contacts

User Content

• Photos or Videos
• Gameplay Content
• Other User Content

Search History

• Search History

Browsing History

• Browsing History

Identifiers

• User ID
• Device ID

Usage Data

• Product Interaction
• Advertising Data
• Other Usage Data

Sensitive Info

• Sensitive Info

Diagnostics

• Crash Data
• Performance Data
• Other Diagnostic Data

Other Data

• Other Data Types

App Functionality

Health & Fitness

• Health
• Fitness

Purchases

• Purchase History

Financial Info

• Payment Info
• Credit Info
• Other Financial Info

Location

• Precise Location
• Coarse Location

Contact Info

• Physical Address
• Email Address
• Name
• Phone Number
• Other User Contact Info

Contacts

• Contacts

User Content

• Emails or Text Messages
• Photos or Videos
• Audio Data
• Gameplay Content
• Customer Support
• Other User Content

Search History

• Search History

Browsing History

• Browsing History

Identifiers

• User ID
• Device ID

Usage Data

• Product Interaction
• Advertising Data
• Other Usage Data

Sensitive Info

• Sensitive Info

Diagnostics

• Crash Data
• Performance Data
• Other Diagnostic Data

Other Data

• Other Data Types

Other Purposes

Purchases

• Purchase History

Financial Info

• Other Financial Info

Location

• Precise Location
• Coarse Location

Contact Info

• Physical Address
• Email Address
• Name
• Phone Number
• Other User Contact Info

Contacts

• Contacts

User Content

• Photos or Videos
• Gameplay Content
• Customer Support
• Other User Content

Search History

• Search History

Browsing History

• Browsing History

Identifiers

• User ID
• Device ID

Usage Data

• Product Interaction
• Advertising Data
• Other Usage Data

Diagnostics

• Crash Data
• Performance Data
• Other Diagnostic Data

Other Data

• Other Data Types

Some have suggested that Apple respond to Facebook’s full-page newspaper ads with a response consisting solely of the above list.

How many people will actually read the app privacy labels, let alone have that influence their choice of messaging app, remains to be seen.