Android users, this Facebook app banned by Apple could still be 'stealing' your data

Apple recently removed an app owned by Facebook called Onavo from App Store to protect privacy of iOS users. However, the same Onavo app is still available on Google Play Store with over 10 million Android users having it on their phones. As per Apple, the Onavo app collects information on other apps that are installed on a device.

As far as the Android version of the Onavo app is concerned, the developer has mentioned in the app description, "Onavo may collect your mobile data traffic. This helps us improve and operate the Onavo service by analyzing your use of websites, apps and data."

Interestingly, the Onavo Android app has also claimed that this data can be shared with Facebook to better the social network's services. "Because we're part of Facebook, we also use this info to improve Facebook products and services, gain insights into the products and services people value, and build better experiences," according to the official Onavo app description on Google Play Store.

There is little information on what "insights" the app would collect. Having said that the Onavo app violates Apple's privacy policy while it seems the app doesn't violate privacy policy of Google's Android app.

"With the latest update to our guidelines, we made it explicitly clear that apps should not collect information about which other apps are installed on a user's device for the purposes of analytics or advertising/marketing and must make it clear what user data will be collected and how it will be used," Apple told CNBC in a statement.

Back in 2013, Facebook had acquired Israel-based Onavo and had positioned it as a security app that allowed users to browse through a virtual private network (VPN). However, Facebook is said to have never mentioned this fact clearly that it owns the app.

Also, this is the same Onavo app that was questioned by the Congress in the US over concerns that the app had collected information about users. In its response, Facebook denied this but admitted to have used Onavo to gather information like other popular apps and how people use them. Now, Apple has removed the Onavo app from its App Store for exactly these reasons. Interestingly, over 10 million Android users are still using this app.