Was Angry Birds Spyware?

The answer to the question of whether Angry Birds was spyware is complex, as while the game itself was not malware, it was identified as one of the “leaky” apps used by the National Security Administration (NSA) and its British counterpart, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), to collect user data. The game’s developer, Rovio, collected personal information and non-personal analytics information from its users, including mobile geo-location information, which raised concerns about user privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Angry Birds Malware?

The Angry Birds game itself is not malware, but a Trojan horse called Andr/KongFu-L was found in a fake version of Angry Birds Space, which could direct users’ phones to any website and potentially steal their data.

2. Does Angry Birds Steal Data?

Angry Birds collects personal information and non-personal analytics information from its users, including mobile geo-location information, which is used to provide location-related services and advertisements.

3. Why Does Angry Birds Need Access to Photos?

Angry Birds 2 may prompt users to grant the game access to their photos, media, and storage due to application size restrictions before downloading the game, but it only needs access to the device’s storage.

4. Is Angry Birds App Safe?

In 2014, Edward Snowden leaked classified documents detailing how the NSA was exploiting commercial data collection, and Angry Birds was named as one of the “leaky” apps used to access private information.

5. Does Angry Birds Track You?

Angry Birds tracks users’ locations and device IDs, and some apps collect data from users’ contact lists, which raised concerns about user privacy.

6. Why Was Angry Birds Removed from the App Store?

Rovio announced it was delisting Angry Birds due to the game’s impact on its wider games portfolio.

7. What is the Angry Birds Spy Controversy?

The Angry Birds spy controversy refers to the revelation that the NSA and GCHQ were using Angry Birds and other apps to monitor social media presence and collect user data.

8. Can Any Apps Steal My Photos?

Yes, Android apps can steal users’ photos if they are granted permission to access them, and if the app also has internet access, it could upload the photos.

9. Can Apps See Your Camera Roll?

For an app to see or use users’ photos, it must first ask for permission to access them, which can be granted when the app is downloaded or later when it needs to perform a certain function.

10. Why Did Angry Birds Get Sued?

Rovio was sued for allegedly selling information of minors to third-party advertising companies, which raised concerns about child privacy.

11. Why is Angry Birds So Addictive?

Angry Birds is addictive due to its simple gameplay and the dopamine mechanism that makes users want to know what will happen next, making it easy to get hooked.

12. Is Angry Birds 2 a Safe App?

Angry Birds 2 is safe for kids, but parents should be aware that the app features mild cartoon violence and may collect user data.

13. Is Angry Birds 2 a Virus?

Only the Chinese version of Angry Birds 2 was found to have malware, and Rovio confirmed that the issue was isolated to that version.

14. Is Angry Birds a Leaky App?

Yes, Angry Birds was named as one of the “leaky” apps used by the NSA to collect user data, which raised concerns about user privacy.

15. What is the Safest App to Store Photos?

Some of the safest apps to store photos include Google Photos, KeepSafe Photo Vault, 1Gallery, and LockMyPix Photo Vault, which offer secure storage and encryption to protect users’ personal photos.