My smartphone has become an integral part of my daily activities. The same can be said for the majority of the population. This allows companies to utilize mobile analytics to improve their user experience, product, and targeted marketing. Mobile Analytics is the practice of collecting user behavior data and determining intent from those metrics and taking action to drive retention, engagement, and conversion. The type of data that is collected can include user flows, app crashes, goal completion, and much more.
However, there are privacy concerns attached to the collection of mobile analytics. Unlike website data, mobile devices travel with us which gives them access to more information. Especially since many smartphone apps are connected in usage. For example, Instagram connects to the photos app for easier sharing. It is important to understand what data is being collected and how it is being used.
To further explore privacy policies in action, I spent time reviewing BeReal’s policy. BeReal is a social app developed in 2020, which gained popularity over the past year. Users get a daily notification to take a photo of what they are doing at that moment. The photo is then shared with their friends and they can see their friends’ photos. I downloaded the app this past year and have had a fun time seeing what people are up to. I chose this app because I was curious if there were hidden monetization opportunities since the application is free and there are no ads. I thought back to Tristan Harris’ phrase, “if you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.” Therefore, looking into the privacy policy would help me understand more about what the application does with users’ data.
BeReal collects a variety of data from its users and provides a table that shows what the data is, the purpose for its collection, the legal ground for processing, and the retention period. The type of data includes mandatory profile (name, birthdate, phone number, password), optional profile data (bio, email address), data on communications, photo and camera data, and geolocation data. The main reasons the app cites for collecting data are to improve customer experience, account identification, and monitor content to prevent illegal activities.
BeReal promises “no disclosure of personal information to third parties.” Which was surprising but positive. Instead, the data is stored within BeReal’s internal services. Profile Data is stored for 3 years after the last connection to the service (or until there is a request for removal). Meanwhile, content data can be stored between 1-5 years depending on if the data is retained for dispute retention services. I was surprised to see that they stored personal information even after you stopped using it and potentially deleted the app unless you requested removal.
Another element that surprised me was the inclusion of a section for the purchase of paid features and the data stored for that endeavor. The app currently has no paid features which could be a sign that monetization is coming soon for the popular platform. Although there are no other monetization elements included in the privacy policy, this demonstrates that the app is looking for ways to make money and preparing for a possible change. Looking into BeReal’s policies allowed me to learn more about the data stored on the app and the future direction it may take.