Meta secretly tracks Android users’ web browsing, research finds
Android users are secretly tracked by Meta and the search engine company Yandex.
This claim was made in a joint study by Radboud University in the Netherlands and the IMDEA network.
The study found that Meta and Yandex monitor the browsing activities of Android users without their consent and utilize this data for their own apps.
The researchers found that Meta apps like Facebook and Instagram, along with Yandex apps such as Yandex Maps, remain active in the background of Android devices and run a script that transmits data back.
He said that in this way, these companies bypass Android’s security measures and track what users are viewing or browsing on the web browser.
He further stated that the data collection practices of these companies were discovered in January 2025.
He said that this discovery was shocking because these apps track users’ browser data across all major Android browsers, even if users are browsing the web in incognito mode.
Google, the owner of the Android operating system, also confirmed this tracking.
Google recently told British media that Meta and Yandex track users of Android devices. This practice violates the principles of security and privacy.
Meta has stated that the company is investigating this issue.
A Meta spokesperson said that we have discussed this issue with Google.
According to the spokesperson, we have decided to suspend this feature while working with Google on this issue.
A statement issued by Yandex stated that it strictly implements data protection principles and that the feature in question does not collect sensitive details, but rather aims to improve the user experience within apps.