Be concerned about Clean Master's data collection and privacy practices?

[AC Question]

Be concerned about Clean Master's data collection and privacy practices

Hey everyone,

I came across this report by a respected professor and it gave me huge concern because I've used Clean Master in the past. Apparently despite Clean Master's popularity, the app's origin and purpose seem to have been overlooked. I deleted the app right away but I thought I should share what I read with other users.

The report (written by a Carnegie Mellon professor and published in Vocativ and Gizmodo) stirred up widespread concern, identifying apps that mysteriously “know everything about you.” If you dig deeper into the report, you'll see that the company with the most of these privacy-invading apps on the list is Cheetah Mobile. These include CM Security, Clean Master, and Battery Doctor.

CM Security-AppLock & AntiVirus flags for 29 privacy permissions, some of which include call logs, text messages, and contact lists to name a few. And where the data is used thereafter is unknown to anyone else but Cheetah, leaving its users open to privacy vulnerabilities.

“That a security app is the most data-greedy is both unsurprising and disturbing. Is it really necessary to impinge on privacy to ensure security,” Gizmodo noted in its analysis.

With Cheetah Mobile’s aggressive mobile advertising foray as the public company advances its investors’ interests, it’s evident that private information from users of Clean Master, CM Security, and Battery Doctor are fed into its advertising system to deliver ads to Cheetah Mobile users and then monetize their data at the expense of its users’ privacy as suggested by Gizmodo.

 

[jacb09]

Re: Be concerned about Clean Master's data collection and privacy practices

Thank you.

 

[Niclas Johnson1]

After reading this,it makes me worried..I downloaded the CM security and Battery Doctor (already uninstalled) .the CM seems working fine for me,so reading this make anxious

Got rid of battery doctor long ago as it used significant memory and resources..
Found clean master clone in Lionmobi app..
Some adds but much smaller..
Probably just dump the lot at this point..
Adguard helps keep things under control..
Worth a try if you don't have..
My two cents..

 

[mikesmith0902]

Clean Master and CM Security came preinstalled on my Asus ZenFone 2 and I stumbled across this thread while looking for answers to another problem. Let me say right from the start I'm not in anyway biased for or against Cheetah Mobile, I just speak as I find. I've been using these apps for about 9 months and I've never had any reason to suspect they are a threat to my privacy more than any other apps that require ridiculous permissions that are totally unnesessary in respect to the job they perform. If I was to refuse permissions then at least half the apps I use on my phone would never have been installed. You have to question why apps that don't have any negative comments such as games etc also ask for permission to search your contacts, messages and other private information, and have the right to add and remove data from your SD card. The majority of apps in the Google Play Store all require permissions that invade users privacy not just Cheetah Mobile. As far as I'm concerned Clean Master and CM Security, plus the CM Private Browser all seem to do the job they are intended for. They clear out unnecessary files and junk which are using up precious memory and warn me of malicious websites. The browser allows you to search websites and then deletes all browsing data on exit. If I had any reason to suspect that the Cheetah apps were malicious then I would uninstall them them straight away, I have that option in the settings menu, but I haven't got any reason to think that and this thread could just be causing unnecessary scaremongering and doing the apps an injustice. They work for me and I've got no reason to uninstall them just because a thread on a forum tells me to. If I was to do that I would need to replace them with similar apps that again would ask for permissions to invade my privacy, so as far as I'm concerned it's better the devil you know rather than install similar apps that would require similar permissions to the Cheetah apps. Doesn't it say anything that Samsung, the biggest supplier of cellphones in the world, would risk their reputation by installing apps on their devices if they were malware? Everyone's a bloody expert who think they know better than the true professionals. If the apps were malware I'm sure they would not be available from the Google Play Store so if anyone has differing views then feel free to comment and reply. Just don't send me links to other websites with the same BS as on here.

 

[mikesmith0902]

What has RAM got to do with the post by jacb09? He's asking about alternative apps which have nothing to do with RAM.

Why would you want to uninstall an app that seems to be doing the job it was intended for? This thread is all about scaremongering with, as far as I can see, no evidence to back it up! If it works use it, you'll only need to reinstall another app which again would invade your privacy.

 

[VDub2174]

Ladies and gentlemen, please keep discussion productive and on topic. Personal attacks, insults, taking threads off topic and other disruptive posting behaviors are not acceptable. If you do not like a post, please behave like an adult and move on, or if you feel it violates the forum rules, please report it. At no point should members be calling each other out in posts. Thanks.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re: Be concerned about Clean Master's data collection and privacy practices

What has RAM got to do with the post by jacb09? He's asking about alternative apps which have nothing to do with RAM.

My opinion of CM is this: it's not so much as a data mine that bothers me (Facebook is just as bad), it's the idea that it boosts RAM, something Android doesn't need. So, you have someone developing an app and they don't understand the basic memory structure of the OS.

 

[Joe Marnati]

Joemar11 ion and privacy practices?

Clean master crashes

 

[Josh0027]

Hi. This is my first post. I joined recently when I was victimized by CleanMaster. I was monitoring my mobile data usage and I found out that 0.92GB was consumed about two days but I was not using my phone. Checked my Data Usage and there it was on top of the list. I immediately uninstalled it.

Below is the snapshot after uninstalling the damned thing. Took a chunk out of my monthly data.



If not for these forums I would not have known the uselessness and dangers of these apps. Thanks to you guys!

 

[jswim77]

Then what is a good App lock?

 

[Kottebo]

Then what is a good App lock?

I love this ヅ

 

[Helper911]

Hi all,

We living in an era where personal data is "taken" for free and converted into cash by most companies. Most cellphone manufacturers have "terms and conditions" about your privacy and most of them are not malicious, however third party apps such as this one can be harmful as your data is sold to other users i.e. call centres, other app developers.

The app is a waste of time, as it was designed to clean out 'junk files and ads' but contains ads in itself, most apps download small ads and store it for a while before refreshing them, this app just deletes those and uses more data because the original app will have to download new ads to replace the ones it deleted.

Not worth the download, your factory settings should be adequate to operate the phones basics features i.e. charging rates and battery life, as well as storage usage. If your phone lags, try a soft reset every 6 month/1 year depending on your usage, or do a full format every two years.

 

[hmung]

jesus , So many comments on what ones arent good... Anybody have one that is Good?