Thousands of mobile apps developed using an Android software development kit from search giant Baidu have been found to collect and transmit personal user information to the company, Reuters reported, citing an investigation by research group Citizen Lab. The apps, including both the Android and Windows versions of Baidu’s browser, have been downloaded hundreds of millions of times, and transmit unencrypted and easily intercepted data including user location, search terms and browser history. Baidu said it would fix the encryption holes in the kits, but would still collect data for commercial use. For more on data security in China, see CER’s in-depth report.
China Economic Review