Uh oh! 1 million Android apps exposed 700 TB of sensitive user data

PCWorld reports that over 1 million Android apps exposed 700 TB of sensitive user data through hardcoded API keys and security vulnerabilities. Research found 72% of AI apps contained dangerous "secrets" in their code, with 81% linked to Google Cloud projects enabling unauthorized third-party access. Users should exercise extreme caution when installing new apps, particularly AI applications that request sensitive financial or personal information. Towards the end of January, security researchers at Cybernews published a study on AI apps in the Google Play Store. The study revealed that numerous AI apps had inadequate security, leading them to inadvertently leak data from Google's cloud servers.