Ring app for Android found to be ‘packed’ with third-party data trackers

The data sent by the Ring app helps analytics and tracking companies form a clear picture of your device.

What you need to know

• An investigation by EFF has revealed that the Ring doorbell app for Android is packed with third-party trackers.
• The trackers reportedly send out sensitive information such as the customers' names, sensor data, private IP addresses, and more.
• Ring app has been found to send information to four main analytics and marketing companies – Facebook, MixPanel, AppsFlyer, and Branch.

An investigation carried out by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has found that the Ring app for Android is "packed" with third-party trackers, sending out a wide range of personally identifiable information (PII) to analytics and marketing companies.

The EFF claims Ring for Android v3.21.1 sends information to four analytics and marketing companies: Facebook, Branch, AppsFlyer, and MixPanel. Facebook receives alerts whenever the app is opened and upon app deactivation after screen lock due to inactivity. Even if the Ring user does not have a Facebook account, the social networking giant still receives information such as their time zone, device model, language preferences, as well as a unique identifier.

The most information, however, is sent to MixPanel. In addition to device information, the company receives users' full names, email addresses, and app settings include the number of locations they have Ring devices installed in. MixPanel also happens to be the only company to be mentioned in Ring's list of third party services.

More alarmingly, AppsFlyer receives sensor data from Ring devices. On its test device, EFF found the Ring app was sending data from the magnetometer, gyroscope, and the accelerometer.

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