New research from the cybersecurity firm Surfshark has quantified just how much personal information the biggest technology companies harvest from their users. The study, which examined 171 apps available on Apple's App Store, found that Meta—the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—collects an average of 25 distinct data types per app, out of a possible 35. That is more than three times the average collected by Microsoft or Apple, and it places the Menlo Park-based firm at the top of the data-collection league table.
The analysis, which covered apps from Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Meta, looked at categories such as browsing history, precise location, purchase history, contacts, and financial information. While many apps require some data to function, the sheer volume and variety collected by Meta's suite of applications stands out. Seven of the ten most intrusive apps identified in the study belong to Meta, including Facebook, Messenger, and the company's AI assistant, Meta AI. Others in that group include Meta Horizon, Meta Ads Manager, Meta Business Suite, and the Meta Forum app.
Google's ecosystem spreads the net wider
Although Meta leads on average data types per app, Google owns the largest number of data-hungry apps overall. Of the 40 apps that collect the most data, 29 are Google products, compared with nine from Meta and just two from Amazon. This means that while a typical Google app may collect fewer data types than a typical Meta app, the sheer scale of Google's ecosystem—from Search and Maps to YouTube and Gmail—exposes users to a broader cumulative data footprint.
The study also highlighted that even when approximate location would suffice for many features, apps still collect precise location data. Browsing history is gathered by nine Meta apps, eleven Amazon apps, and eight Google apps. This pattern raises concerns about how much data is collected unnecessarily, particularly for European users who are protected by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Outside the Meta family, Amazon's voice assistant Alexa was the most data-hungry app, collecting 28 data types. Google's apps averaged 17 data types, while Amazon averaged 12. Microsoft and Apple were far behind, with averages of 8 and 7 respectively.
The findings come at a time when data privacy is a growing concern across the European Union. Regulators in Brussels and national authorities in countries like France, Germany, and Ireland have repeatedly scrutinised Big Tech's data practices. The Irish Data Protection Commission, which oversees Meta's European operations, has already levied multi-billion-euro fines over GDPR breaches. This new research adds fresh evidence to the debate about whether current regulations are sufficient to curb excessive data collection.
For European consumers, the practical implications are significant. Every time they open a Meta app, they may be sharing more information than they realise. The study suggests that users should review their privacy settings and consider which apps truly need access to sensitive data. As the digital economy expands, the balance between convenience and privacy remains a central challenge for policymakers and citizens alike.
Surfshark's analysis is based on the data types that Apple requires developers to declare in their App Store privacy labels. While these labels are self-reported, they offer a transparent window into the data practices of major tech firms. The full report is available on Surfshark's website, and it provides a detailed breakdown of each app's data collection behaviour.
As Europe continues to assert its digital sovereignty, this kind of comparative data is likely to inform future regulatory action. The European Commission has already proposed the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, which aim to increase transparency and accountability for online platforms. Whether these measures will be enough to rein in the data-hungry giants remains to be seen.
