The Privacy and Security Behaviors of Smartphone App Developers

Abstract

Abstract-Smartphone app developers have to make many privacy-related decisions about what data to collect about endusers, and how that data is used. We explore how app developers make decisions about privacy and security. Additionally, we examine whether any privacy and security behaviors are related to characteristics of the app development companies. We conduct a series of interviews with 13 app developers to obtain rich qualitative information about privacy and security decision-making. We use an online survey of 228 app developers to quantify behaviors and test our hypotheses about the relationship between privacy and security behaviors and company characteristics. We find that smaller companies are less likely to demonstrate positive privacy and security behaviors. Additionally, although third-party tools for ads and analytics are pervasive, developers aren't aware of the data collected by these tools. We suggest tools and opportunities to reduce the barriers for app developers to implement privacy and security best practices.

Linking Platforms, Practices, and Developer Ethics: Levers for Privacy Discourse in Mobile Application Development

“…The mobile application developers (''devs'') frequently responsible for making decisions about user data range from hobbyists to consultants to independent contractors to employees of multinational corporations (VisionMobile 2016). Low barriers to entry enable a vibrant but deprofessionalized development ecosystem (Cravens 2012), and surveys of application developers have revealed that many lack knowledge of current best practices for privacy and data protection (Balebako et al 2014). Devs also rely on distribution by two major international platforms: the Apple App Store and Google's Play Marketplace (VisionMobile 2016).…”

I'd Like to Have an Argument, Please: Using Dialectic for Effective App Security

“…Balebako et al surveyed and interviewed over 200 app developers, and concluded that most approached security issues using web search, or by consulting peers [5].…”

“…Comparing the existing work on app developers and security, section 2 identified valuable research on current practice by developers such as that by Balebako et al [5]; this work goes further by identifying approaches for better practice. Much of the remaining literature we discussed is also valuable in the context the dialectic techniques as providing solutions to the challenges identified through dialectic.…”

Can Smartphones and Privacy Coexist? Assessing Technologies and Regulations Protecting Personal Data on Android and iOS Devices

“…Therefore, identifying the decisionmakers leads to a greater understanding of the privacy protections likely to be employed. For example, app developers without security expertise may fail to correctly implement privacy-preserving technologies (Balebako, Marsh, et al, 2014).…”