Background Sensor Collection

Description

Collecting precise location, microphone, camera, or motion data in the background without clear consent or necessity creates privacy risk and regulatory exposure.

Examples

Inspect Background Location/Mic Use

apktool d app-release.apk -o app-src
rg -n "ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION|RECORD_AUDIO|CAMERA" app-src/AndroidManifest.xml

Run the app and observe outgoing requests for continuous sensor data in a proxy.

Remediation

  1. Purpose limitation
    • Only collect sensors necessary for active features; avoid background tracking.
  2. Consent and controls
    • Provide granular opt‑ins and in‑app toggles; honour OS privacy dashboards.
  3. Data minimisation
    • Aggregate/anonymise data; enforce retention limits and encryption.