Researcher warns against iPhone Apps of Meta, Instagram, TikTok over data breach

Felix Krause, an ex-Google engineer and a current researcher was quoted as saying by the New York Post that all these applications say they don’t breach a user’s privacy or track sensitive user data like credit card information, passwords, and addresses entered through in-app browsers but are capable of doing so.

According to a report published by Krause, it was alleged that all the third-party links on their applications can cause various risks to the users.

Moreover Krause suggests, users who click on the links in the two apps are taken to webpages in an “in-app browser” allegedly controlled by Facebook or Instagram, rather than being sent to the user’s preferred web browser, such as Safari or Firefox.

It was further explained by Krause that when Instagram users click in links of products sent by their friends as direct messages on their iPhones, the URLS open within the in-app browser. If the users decide to buy the products, they must enter their credit card information, shipping address, and other information, all of which can be tracked by Instagram, said Krause. Reportedly, the same things can happen if they bought a product from an Instagram advertisement, he added.

The researcher has made these claims amid the concerns raised by several regulatory authorities about the Chinese-owned Tiktok’s privacy and security policies.

Moreover, Krause also claims that Instagram “injects javascript code into every website shown” which provides them potential access to all that user data and more-despite the fact that there is no evidence that Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok are recording such data.

Meanwhile, Tech giant Apple on Friday disclosed serious security vulnerabilities for iPhones, iPads and Macs that could potentially allow attackers to take complete control of these devices.

The company said it is “aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited”, CNN has reported. Users can learn how to update the software by following the instructions given on Apple website.

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