If You Are Not Concerned With Ads & Data Collection, Pi Network Seems Safe To Use

Let‘s be clear – if you aren‘t concerned with extensive data gathering for targeted ads, Pi Network seems like a safe app to use. Pi Network collects a wide range of personal information and shares it with advertisers, but many other apps do the same. Read on for a deep dive into what data they gather, who it‘s shared with, and what it means for you.

Pi Network Collects A Lot of Your Personal Data

Pi Network gathers information about you including:

• Identity details like your name, email, and contacts
• Device information such as hardware model and operating system
• Precise location data from your phone‘s GPS
• Usage logs of your activity within the app

This data can paint an intimate picture of your habits, interests, and relationships when combined. For example, they may know you visit a certain location each Sunday morning based on GPS, suggesting information about your religious practices. Or frequent late night app use could indicate insomnia.

According to studies, over 90% of apps share data with third-parties, mostly for advertising. Let‘s look at who Pi Network shares data with.

Data Shared With Advertising Partners

Through code analysis, researchers identified various third-party services embedded in Pi Network‘s app:

I did some digging and found they also share data with analytics services like Mixpanel and Segment to uncover usage trends. The more partners Pi Network shares your data with, the more ways it can be exploited to serve you ads.

Targeted ads are a multi-billion dollar industry. Ad performance improves when personalization is based on extensive data according to an NYU study. So companies are financially motivated to collect as much data as possible.</

Is This A Big Privacy Risk? It Depends.

For some, personalized ads are convenient. For others, it‘s a nightmare. Regulations like GDPR and CCPA aim to return control of personal data back to users. But ultimately you must decide your own tolerance.

Here‘s some food for thought:

• Highly targeted ads are designed to keep your eyes glued to your phone – is that how you want to spend time?
• There are no laws dictating how brands can use your data once shared – are you uncomfortable with that?
• Hacks of ad platforms have exposed personal information in the past – does potential fraud concern you?

There are no absolutely right or wrong answers here. My advice is to consider both the benefits and risks before installing any app that collects significant personal data like Pi Network.

The Bottom Line

If you aren‘t worried about sharing personal data for better ad targeting, Pi Network seems safe to use. But I encourage you to be informed about where your data goes, who can access it, and how it can be used so you can make the right decisions for yourself. If you prefer to minimize data collection, Pi Network may not be the right app for you.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to chat more about privacy considerations.

Sources

[1] Research paper on app data sharing practices

[2] NYU study on personalized ad performance