Consumer Council butcher fitness apps – ITavisen.no

– The companies’ terms and practices violate basic consumer protection and privacy.

The Consumer Council has an ongoing campaign called #appfail, where they research and analyzes popular mobile apps.

Five popular fitness apps
Last week they killed the several of the most popular Norwegian apps, including Finn, VG and Wordfeud, and this week they published a new report which they discusses some of the most used fitness apps.

• Endomondo
• Runkeeper
• Strava
• Lifesum
• MyFitnessPal

Health and fitness apps sharing user data for advertising purposes, can store user data after the account is closed, and track you when the app is not in use, according to a survey by Consumer Council.

– the companies’ terms and practices violate basic consumer protection and privacy. We also fear that the information may be used for the unfortunate, direct marketing and price discrimination, says technical director Find Myrstad.

See also: More Norwegian apps violates fundamental consumer rights.

MyFitnessPal get ironing
the Consumer Council has checked including whether your app tracks user location when not in use, what is being stored and deleted data, about apptilbyderen specify which third parties personal information shared with even more.

MyFitnessPal receive a failing on all of the Consumer Council’s topics and generally comes off worst.

“All apps have a lot going on in terms of consumer protection, but the calorie counter MyFitnessPal excels in a negative direction, partly because of the long and inaccessible conditions, which may change at any time without notice.

MyFitnessPal also reserves including right to use users name and profile pictures and what they want – and it forever, “writes Consumer Council.

Strava best out
they write that Runkeeper and MyFitnessPal tracks users when apps not in use, while Endomondo goes so far that it asks iPhone users’ location when the app is not in use.

– We do not understand why Runkeeper and Endomondo need to know where users are located outside of training. To track users around the clock can only be justified if this is essential for the application to function, and that the data be used only for this, says Myrstad.

Best out comes Strava and Lifesum. The former gets approved in four of seven categories, while Lifesum get three of seven possible.

App Promotion
Consumer Council undergoing winter 2016 a number of applications to check how consumer and privacy is safeguarded, and will submit a comprehensive report before Easter, they write in the report.

– the purpose of our app campaign is not to scare users, but raise awareness about what we saying yes to. We also want to put pressure on the app providers to get more consumer friendly solutions, says technical director Myrstad.

Read the full report on Fobrukerrådets website.