Exploring the Eastern Frontier: A First Look at Mobile App Tracking in China

Zhaohua Wang; Zhenyu Li; Minhui Xue; Gareth Tyson

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-44081-7_19

Exploring the Eastern Frontier: A First Look at Mobile App Tracking in China

Zhaohua Wang, Zhenyu Li^*, Minhui Xue, Gareth Tyson

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference Proceeding/Report › Conference Paper published in a book › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Many mobile apps are integrated with mobile advertising and tracking services running in the background to collect information for tracking users. Considering China currently tops mobile traffic growth globally, this paper aims to take a first look at China’s mobile tracking patterns from a large 4G network. We observe the dominance of the top popular domestic trackers and the pervasive tracking on mobile apps. We also discover a very well-connected tracking community, where the non-popular trackers form many local communities with each community tracking a particular category of mobile apps. We further conclude that some trackers have a monopoly on specific groups of mobile users and 10% of users upload Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to trackers (with 90% of PII tracking flows local to China). Our results consistently show a distinctive mobile tracking market in China. We hope the results can inform users and stakeholders on the interplay between mobile tracking and potential security and privacy issues.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Passive and Active Measurement - 21st International Conference, PAM 2020, Proceedings
Editors	Anna Sperotto, Alberto Dainotti, Burkhard Stiller
Publisher	Springer
Pages	314-328
Number of pages	15
ISBN (Print)	9783030440800
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44081-7_19
Publication status	Published - 2020
Externally published	Yes
Event	21st International Conference on Passive and Active Measurement, PAM 2020 - Eugene, United States Duration: 30 Mar 2020 → 31 Mar 2020

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume	12048 LNCS
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	21st International Conference on Passive and Active Measurement, PAM 2020
Country/Territory	United States
City	Eugene
Period	30/03/20 → 31/03/20

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-44081-7_19

Cite this

Wang, Z., Li, Z., Xue, M., & Tyson, G. (2020). Exploring the Eastern Frontier: A First Look at Mobile App Tracking in China. In A. Sperotto, A. Dainotti, & B. Stiller (Eds.), Passive and Active Measurement - 21st International Conference, PAM 2020, Proceedings (pp. 314-328). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 12048 LNCS). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44081-7_19

Wang, Zhaohua ; Li, Zhenyu ; Xue, Minhui et al. / Exploring the Eastern Frontier : A First Look at Mobile App Tracking in China. Passive and Active Measurement - 21st International Conference, PAM 2020, Proceedings. editor / Anna Sperotto ; Alberto Dainotti ; Burkhard Stiller. Springer, 2020. pp. 314-328 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)).

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title = "Exploring the Eastern Frontier: A First Look at Mobile App Tracking in China",

abstract = "Many mobile apps are integrated with mobile advertising and tracking services running in the background to collect information for tracking users. Considering China currently tops mobile traffic growth globally, this paper aims to take a first look at China{\textquoteright}s mobile tracking patterns from a large 4G network. We observe the dominance of the top popular domestic trackers and the pervasive tracking on mobile apps. We also discover a very well-connected tracking community, where the non-popular trackers form many local communities with each community tracking a particular category of mobile apps. We further conclude that some trackers have a monopoly on specific groups of mobile users and 10\% of users upload Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to trackers (with 90\% of PII tracking flows local to China). Our results consistently show a distinctive mobile tracking market in China. We hope the results can inform users and stakeholders on the interplay between mobile tracking and potential security and privacy issues.",

author = "Zhaohua Wang and Zhenyu Li and Minhui Xue and Gareth Tyson",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.; 21st International Conference on Passive and Active Measurement, PAM 2020 ; Conference date: 30-03-2020 Through 31-03-2020",

year = "2020",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-030-44081-7\_19",

language = "English",

isbn = "9783030440800",

series = "Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)",

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Wang, Z, Li, Z, Xue, M & Tyson, G 2020, Exploring the Eastern Frontier: A First Look at Mobile App Tracking in China. in A Sperotto, A Dainotti & B Stiller (eds), Passive and Active Measurement - 21st International Conference, PAM 2020, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), vol. 12048 LNCS, Springer, pp. 314-328, 21st International Conference on Passive and Active Measurement, PAM 2020, Eugene, United States, 30/03/20. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44081-7_19

Exploring the Eastern Frontier: A First Look at Mobile App Tracking in China. / Wang, Zhaohua; Li, Zhenyu; Xue, Minhui et al.
Passive and Active Measurement - 21st International Conference, PAM 2020, Proceedings. ed. / Anna Sperotto; Alberto Dainotti; Burkhard Stiller. Springer, 2020. p. 314-328 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 12048 LNCS).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference Proceeding/Report › Conference Paper published in a book › peer-review

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AU - Wang, Zhaohua

AU - Li, Zhenyu

AU - Xue, Minhui

AU - Tyson, Gareth

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Many mobile apps are integrated with mobile advertising and tracking services running in the background to collect information for tracking users. Considering China currently tops mobile traffic growth globally, this paper aims to take a first look at China’s mobile tracking patterns from a large 4G network. We observe the dominance of the top popular domestic trackers and the pervasive tracking on mobile apps. We also discover a very well-connected tracking community, where the non-popular trackers form many local communities with each community tracking a particular category of mobile apps. We further conclude that some trackers have a monopoly on specific groups of mobile users and 10% of users upload Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to trackers (with 90% of PII tracking flows local to China). Our results consistently show a distinctive mobile tracking market in China. We hope the results can inform users and stakeholders on the interplay between mobile tracking and potential security and privacy issues.

AB - Many mobile apps are integrated with mobile advertising and tracking services running in the background to collect information for tracking users. Considering China currently tops mobile traffic growth globally, this paper aims to take a first look at China’s mobile tracking patterns from a large 4G network. We observe the dominance of the top popular domestic trackers and the pervasive tracking on mobile apps. We also discover a very well-connected tracking community, where the non-popular trackers form many local communities with each community tracking a particular category of mobile apps. We further conclude that some trackers have a monopoly on specific groups of mobile users and 10% of users upload Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to trackers (with 90% of PII tracking flows local to China). Our results consistently show a distinctive mobile tracking market in China. We hope the results can inform users and stakeholders on the interplay between mobile tracking and potential security and privacy issues.

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T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)

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ER -

Wang Z, Li Z, Xue M, Tyson G. Exploring the Eastern Frontier: A First Look at Mobile App Tracking in China. In Sperotto A, Dainotti A, Stiller B, editors, Passive and Active Measurement - 21st International Conference, PAM 2020, Proceedings. Springer. 2020. p. 314-328. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)). doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-44081-7_19

Exploring the Eastern Frontier: A First Look at Mobile App Tracking in China

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