During the festive Christmas season, as families enjoy time together and engage in holiday-themed online gaming apps, a concerning trend is emerging regarding online privacy. Research carried out by Surfshark, a leading VPN provider, reveals that popular Christmas-themed gaming apps collect excessive amounts of user data and share it with third parties, posing a risk to users’ privacy.

The analysis focused on 21 popular mobile game applications in categories like Board Games, Family Games, and Christmas lists. These apps, including games, countdowns, photo editing tools, festive music, and gift-shopping aids, were found to collect a significant number of unique data points. Particularly alarming is the revelation that free festive apps share five times more data with third parties compared to paid versions.

Top offenders in data collection were identified, such as Monopoli Go! and Hexa Sort, among others, which collected extensive user data points, including location and purchase history. This data is often utilized for online tracking and targeted advertising purposes, highlighting the privacy risks associated with free applications.

Surfshark’s Chief Security Officer, Tomas Stamulis, emphasized the importance of user awareness and evaluation of privacy implications when using apps. He advised users to consider paid versions of apps or alternatives to mitigate data privacy risks. Furthermore, users are encouraged to delete Christmas-themed apps after the holiday season to prevent ongoing tracking of their data.

While security measures like VPNs and ad-blockers offer some protection, they do not address the root issue of excessive data collection by apps. Suggestions were made to utilize data removal services like Incogni to request data deletion from brokers. Overall, the research underscores the need for vigilance and informed decision-making to safeguard online privacy in the evolving landscape of app usage.