Exploring the privacy pitfalls associated with widely-used educational applications reveals several alarming trends and underscores the necessity for users to be cautious about the permissions they grant. An in-depth investigation examined 25 predominantly popular learning apps, including Udemy, Coursera, Moodle, and Duolingo, which collectively boast millions of downloads on the Google Play Store. The findings indicated that these apps often seek access to sensitive user data, raising concerns about the potential for misuse.
Excessive Permissions in Education Apps
Sensitive Permission Requests
A common trend across many educational applications is the request for permissions that surpass their functional needs. Numerous apps ask for access to external storage, cameras, audio recording functions, and even account information. Alarmingly, the Remind app stands out as the most concerning, demanding a total of 12 sensitive permissions. Not far behind, Coursera requests 11, while Questions.AI and Moodle each ask for 10 sensitive permissions. Additionally, apps such as ClassDojo, Gauth_AI, Simplilearn, Canvas Student, Duolingo, Udemy, and Blackboard Learn each seek more than five sensitive permissions, magnifying user privacy concerns.
Camera and Account Access
One of the most overreaching permissions often requested is access to the camera. While camera access may be necessary for certain in-app features like posting photos, it also poses significant privacy risks. Seventeen apps from the study requested camera access. Similarly, account access permissions requested by apps like Coursera and Duolingo are also worrisome. These apps seek access to sensitive information related to users’ online identities. Duolingo also requests access to users’ contacts, which could compromise the privacy of users’ personal networks and lead to potential misuse of private information.
Storage and Microphone Access Risks
Reading and Writing to Storage
In addition to camera and account access, many educational apps also require permissions to read and write to user storage. This could give apps access to personal files, photos, videos, and documents, leading to significant privacy risks if the data is mishandled or misused. According to the findings, 21 apps have permission to write to storage, and 20 have permission to read files. For instance, PictureThis can access the locations of photos. Moreover, apps like Khan Academy, Questions.AI, and Remind have the capacity to request sensitive data, such as phone numbers and IMEI numbers, which could be used to identify devices and users.
Microphone Access
Another noteworthy discovery is the frequent request for microphone access by many educational apps, which is presumably necessary for functionalities like language learning. However, granting this permission opens the door for potential unauthorized recording of sensitive conversations or information. Specific app risks also emerged during the study. For example, Remind can connect to and call via Bluetooth without individual user intervention. Furthermore, apps like Moodle and Questions.AI track user locations, adding another layer of concern regarding privacy invasions.
Mitigation Measures for Users
Reviewing Permission Requests
To mitigate these privacy risks, users are advised to carefully review and scrutinize the permission requests made by educational apps. Users should grant permissions only when absolutely necessary and preferably only while the app is in use. This cautious approach is critical in protecting against potential privacy invasions and data leaks.
Proactive Privacy Measures
Examining the privacy concerns linked to commonly used educational apps reveals some troubling patterns, underscoring the need for users to be vigilant about the permissions they grant. A comprehensive study analyzed 25 widely popular learning apps, such as Udemy, Coursera, Moodle, and Duolingo. These apps, which have been downloaded millions of times on the Google Play Store, often request access to users’ sensitive data. This raises significant concerns about the potential for data misuse and breaches of privacy.
Many of these educational platforms request permissions that seem invasive. For example, some apps seek access to contacts, location data, and even microphone usage. This extensive data collection could potentially be exploited, either by the app developers or through security vulnerabilities that could be targeted by malicious actors. As a result, it’s crucial for users to thoroughly review the permissions requested by these apps and weigh the benefits of using the app against the possible privacy risks. Being aware of what data you’re sharing is the first step in protecting your personal information.
