The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday nudged application developers to take steps to protect consumer privacy. But many consumers seem to be already taking steps to guard their personal information from data-grabbing apps.

A study by the Pew Research Center, released Wednesday, found that among Americans, half had decided not to install applications on their mobile phones because they demanded too much personal information. Nearly a third uninstalled an application after learning that it was collecting personal information “they didn’t wish to share.” And one in five turned off location tracking “because they were concerned that other individuals or companies could access that information.” A customer’s whereabouts can be extremely valuable to marketers trying to sell their wares, or government authorities trying to keep tabs on citizens’ movements.

Read More