Using VPNs as well as ad blockers is a pretty standard part of using the internet. Some people want privacy while they browse, and ad blockers can be a great way for you to make sure that you would end up making the most of the content that you are looking into without having to worry all that much about the constant barrage of ads that you often end up having to deal with.
However, the fact of the matter is that a lot of the VPNs and ad blockers that you are using might be doing something rather insidious without you even realizing it. A big example of this can be seen with about twenty VPNs and ad blockers that are available on multiple platforms and are all owned by a company by the name of Sensor Tower.
According to BuzzFeed investigation, these apps have been downloaded tens of millions of times, and the truly concerning aspect of this is that you might have to deal with them harvesting your data without informing you that something like this is happening. Tech companies often harvest your data but they are required to inform you before doing so, so what Sensor Tower has been doing is at the very least a major policy violation for app stores if not being downright illegal in a really big way.
It turns out that Apple actually has removed apps created by Sensor Tower from their app store before, as a result of the fact that they felt like the apps that were being offered violated the terms of use that most app developers have to obey. At the end of the day, Sensor Tower is just one of the countless companies out there that are shamelessly benefiting from the kind of data that you can provide them and they really need to be held accountable.
Read next: Your Favorite Notes Taking App Is Not Encrypting Your Data By Default
However, the fact of the matter is that a lot of the VPNs and ad blockers that you are using might be doing something rather insidious without you even realizing it. A big example of this can be seen with about twenty VPNs and ad blockers that are available on multiple platforms and are all owned by a company by the name of Sensor Tower.
According to BuzzFeed investigation, these apps have been downloaded tens of millions of times, and the truly concerning aspect of this is that you might have to deal with them harvesting your data without informing you that something like this is happening. Tech companies often harvest your data but they are required to inform you before doing so, so what Sensor Tower has been doing is at the very least a major policy violation for app stores if not being downright illegal in a really big way.
It turns out that Apple actually has removed apps created by Sensor Tower from their app store before, as a result of the fact that they felt like the apps that were being offered violated the terms of use that most app developers have to obey. At the end of the day, Sensor Tower is just one of the countless companies out there that are shamelessly benefiting from the kind of data that you can provide them and they really need to be held accountable.
Read next: Your Favorite Notes Taking App Is Not Encrypting Your Data By Default
