#bad apps

[bad-apps]

[thewightknight]

It's time to uninstall Meitu, the photo app masses of users downloaded over the past week to make their selfies look wacky. This app was found today to be sending IMEI numbers to several China-based digital locations. That alone isn’t enough to do a whole lot, but given the massive amount of permissions the app seeks (and is granted) when it’s installed, the app has effectively given someone in China the ability to take control of the phone it’s installed on. In other words – uninstall Meitu (and any apps made by the same company) IMMEDIATELY and consider changing all passwords of apps and accounts associated with your smartphone.

While the app MEITU has been out on the app market – on more than one app market – for several years, it’s only very recently become mega-popular. In just the past day, thousands of users have installed the app (and similar apps from the company) for the first time. While it IS POSSIBLE that the people behind this app do not mean to be doing anything malicious with this data collection, the potential for unsavory actions as a result of this information transfer are too high for us to ignore.

Of special note: The title of this article uses the word “stole” because the app itself does not make mention of use or transfer of your smartphone’s IMEI number. It also does not mention specifically the sending of most or all of the data points listed below. Without your permission, this information is being transferred from your phone to a series of unidentified locations in China.

As FourOctets mentions, destinations include the following – and a litany of others. These addresses land in various locations inside China.

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[bad-apps]

[bad-apps]

"most costly game"... Is that a bragging right? Is this really worth three hundred and ninety nine dollars?

[bad-apps]

[tchrgleek]

Below the cut, an ad I screenshotted plus commentary. CW: illness CW: shaming and guilt

So this ad popped up on my Tumblr. I deliberately cut off the name of the app and the link it was advertising. This ad could so easily push someone (me) into a spiral of shame and guilt for not being good enough or taking care of their (my) home well enough. But I took some time to really look at it.

Who actually does these tasks weekly? Clean the fridge? Polish thrle furniture? Clean the fucking ceiling fans or TV?

This ad is supposedly about decluttering, but dusting your baseboards monthly doesn't help with clutter, and it uses up spoons that are limited with no actual benefit. That is at most a twice a year job, not 12 x a year. Same with backsplash and grout, unless you really don't use lids when you cook.

Coming off a year of feeling physically shitty and barely staying awake at home for several months in a row, this schedule would have me killing myself to please nobody but a fucking app and make me feel absolutely horrible about myself. Sorry, shitty app maker. I wouldn't let my MIL guilt me into that shit and I won't let you either.

[bad-apps]

[raven-whisperer]

I gotta know, will she???