Meta collects three times more user data than Microsoft or Apple

Meta could be collecting the most user data among Big Tech companies, according to new research by Surfshark, which analysed 171 Apple App Store apps made by Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Meta.

Surfshark analysed apps based on 35 unique data categories, including browsing history, precise location, purchase data and more.

The study highlighted that Meta was collecting the highest average number of data types, at 25 out of a possible 35. This was more than three times as much user data on average than other tech companies such as Microsoft and Apple.

Seven of the most intrusive apps, including Facebook, Messenger and Meta AI were also all owned by the company. Others included Meta Horizon, Meta Ads Manager, Meta Business Suite and Forum.

In contrast, Google collected 17 types of data, while Amazon collected 12 and Microsoft 8. Apple also collected 7 types of data.

Google owned the largest number of data-hungry apps, at 29 out of 40, compared to only 2 from Amazon and 9 from Meta.

Although on average, Google's apps collected fewer data types than Meta, the scale of its data collection and its widespread app ecosystem still poses significant data security concerns to users.

Similarly, despite approximate location being enough for most features, browsing history is collected by 9 Meta apps, 11 Amazon apps and 8 Google apps.

Amazon Alexa was the most data-hungry app outside the Meta collection, gathering 28 data types.

Apple and Microsoft were consistently the least data-hungry companies across various categories. Apple's 13 Utilities apps only gathered 6 data types on average, compared with 17 for Google's Utilities apps.