Twitter has updated its app for iOS and Android to integrate a new feature, which will track which other apps users are downloading to their smartphones or tablet.
The controversial update arrives under the guise of providing users with a more ‘personalised’ experience, with the social network claiming ‘App Graph’ will allow it to make better content suggestions to users.
For Twitter users that’ll mean improved suggestions on ‘who to follow,’ as well as even more tweets and accounts users don’t follow appearing in timelines.
The company also promises ‘more relevant’ promoted content appearing among all of that stuff users have actually chosen to see.
Twitter isn’t making the App Graph feature mandatory and says it’ll give people a ‘prompt’ when it switches it on for the user’s account. Until app patrons see the prompt, the setting is turned off, Twitter says.
The feature can also be turned off in the settings portion of the iOS and Android app at any time, Twitter assures users.
The company is also looking to play down privacy fears by claiming: “We are only collecting the list of applications you have installed. We are not collecting any data within the applications.”
The update is rolling out on iOS and Android today, so expect the prompt to begin appearing soon.
Read more: Twitter adding tweets from people you don’t follow
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
