A recent study conducted by cybersecurity firm Surfshark has shed light on the data consumption habits of popular mobile gaming apps. The study found that games like 8 Ball Pool, Gardenscapes, and Subway Surfers have a higher-than-average data hunger index.
According to the study, games developed by Playrix and Miniclip, such as Gardenscapes and 8 Ball Pool, collect data including emails and text messages, which they share with third-party advertisers. Similarly, Roblox, published by Roblox Corporation, collects 15 data points, including search history, email addresses, and location information.
One of the findings from the study is that Subway Surfers, ranked as the 6th most popular game globally, has a data hunger index of 57.6, which is 14.3% higher than the average game in the dataset. It collects 12 unique data points, including coarse location, and also shares some data with third-party advertisers.
Surfshark revealed that out of the 510 apps analyzed, 6.9% collected user contacts, 1.4% collected health data, 7.8% collected precise locations, and 3.5% collected emails or text messages.
The study further highlighted that 85% of the games analyzed captured at least one data point to understand user behavior, with 64% collecting social data. Additionally, 64% of the analyzed games collected data based on both classifications.
In terms of the market dominance, the study noted that Asian countries accounted for nearly 40% of the analyzed apps, with China having the highest number of games (77), followed by Japan and Vietnam. Other significant countries included South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
In India, the government has been taking measures to protect data from being leaked through these apps. Regulations have been rolled out for certain online games, requiring online real money games to follow KYC procedures and notify users of changes to user agreements, terms, and privacy policies within 24 hours of implementation.
To crack down on illegal online betting and gambling companies, the Indian government has urged Indian fintech apps to block access to non-permissible online gaming platforms. The recent raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) aimed to uncover hundreds of online gaming websites and companies allegedly violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, by remitting collections made to foreign countries.
With data breach concerns on the rise, the Indian government is intensifying efforts to regulate and monitor online gaming platforms, particularly those operating from foreign locations.
