06 Jan Consumer Group: Baidu Snooping on Users via Apps
A consumer protection rights groups in China recently sued online search company Baidu Inc. for allegedly collecting information on users using its search app and mobile browser without getting explicit consent.
The Jiangsu Consumer Council which filed the lawsuit in a court in Nanjing, said that Baidu was able to harvest users’ messages, phone calls, contacts and other sensitive data.
Baidu, on the other hand, said that they had already explained that the data their apps gather, such as access to geographic location, text messages and address books are within the scope of reasonable use. They added that their apps cannot monitor phone calls and will not ask for authorization.
Source: SCMP
