Summary
- Known as super apps, everything apps are designed to combine a variety of services such as banking, messaging, shopping and social media all in one platform, aimed at providing a streamlined experience for the user
- Examples include WeChat, which offers services such as banking, food delivery and medical services, and Alipay
- Whilst the convenience of these services is appealing, the capability of these apps to collect personal data is alarming, with the apps able to build precise profiles of users, targeting advertising and even manipulating behaviour
- As a result, this exposes users to hackers, providing wider access to sensitive information and posing threats of identity theft and financial fraud
%- Stick to specialised apps, providing a greater degree of security
- Restrict the use of everything apps to solely the services you feel you need, and avoid signing up for all others
- Limit the permissions these apps have, sharing only essential data required for each specific service
- Research alternative ways to use services independently, avoiding linking all apps together
- Be cautious of privacy policies and practices, and steer clear of apps that request excessive permissions