Warning! This Is The Most Data Rave Application In 2025

JAKARTA - In the midst of an all-free digital era, a recent study from Apteco revealed the dark side of popular applications: incredible amounts of personal data collection. Meta, the social media giant behind Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, is at the top of the list of the most datalike' apps by 2025. Each of its apps reportedly collects up to 156 personal data points linked directly to the user's identity.

This study provides a firm warning: 'free' is not free of charge because what you actually pay is your personal data.

Facebook and Instagram, two of Meta's flagship platforms, occupy the top position with 156 data points linked directly to users, respectively. Threads, Meta's new social media, follows with 154 data points. This shows the consistency of Meta's strategy in collecting user data for business purposes, especially targeted advertising.

The study underlined that this strategy is not a coincidence. Meta has built its entire application ecosystem to mine personal information to create a very detailed user profile.

Apart from social media, this study also found applications from other categories that competed in collecting data:

AI Assistant: Amazon Alexa (115 points), Google Assistant (56 points)

Entertainment: Amazon Prime Video (64 points)

Business and Career: LinkedIn (124 points)

Finance: PayPal (72 points), Klarna (69 points)

Health and Fitness: Strava (60 points), Flo (40 points)

Shopping: Amazon (83 points)

Transportation and Travel: Uber (71 points), Airbnb (64 points)

However, not all applications behave similarly. Some applications such as Booking.com, AI Chatbot, NHS Vouch to 5K, Aldi, and Reddit are known not to collect personal data linked to users. These applications generally do not require users to create accounts or provide identity information directly.

Apteco identifies the most frequently collected types of data:

Contact Information: Name, phone number, home address (recorded 667 times in various applications)

Recognition (Identifiers): Account ID, device ID, username (546 times)

Usage Data: In-app activity, usage time, interaction (469 times)

With these data, the company is capable of making a very complete psychographic profile, allowing them to target high-precision ads and present content that keeps users involved without them realizing that everything has been calculated and supervised.

While it's unrealistic to really be free from the current digital ecosystem, you still have control. Here are some practical steps:

Be Careful Sharing Sensitive Data Don't carelessly enter very sensitive financial, health, or personal data.

Check App Permits Periodically Revised and revoke permissions that are not relevant or not required by the application.

Set Privacy on AndaBatasi Ad tracking devices and share data from your operating system settings.

Consider a Paid App Sometimes, paying a little for apps can be much better than handing over your privacy.

Remove Applications That Are Not Used The less applications, the smaller the potential for data leakage.

Always Update On Information You follow the latest news about data, privacy, and technology policies. The more you know, the more protected you are.

The digital world has become an inseparable part of modern life. However, with the convenience offered, great risks to privacy also come. This study is a strong reminder that in the digital world, you are not just a user, you are a product. And the main product that is traded is your personal data.

Now is the time to be more aware, wiser, and more concerned about what you allow the app to know about you.