August 1, 2024, 3:38 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
The Olympic Games 2024 will take place from July 26 to August 11. Following all the competitions at once is nearly impossible. This is where the official Olympic app is supposed to help. However, there are some concerning issues.
Athletes from about 200 nations will compete in 32 sports. Anyone wanting to follow the competitions will need a kind of companion. The IOC (International Olympic Committee) has developed an Olympic app specifically for the 2024 Games in Paris. However, this app and eleven other applications monitor users and collect data.
IT Security Firm Warns About Olympic App
The official IOC app, “Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” has already been downloaded over 10 million times–and it doesn’t shine with good reviews. Quite the opposite: In the Google Play Store, users gave it 1.9 out of 5 stars in well over 24,000 reviews. But that’s not all. The IT security firm “Cybernews” also has several criticisms of the application.
The Olympic app is supposed to serve as a practical companion, providing games, schedules, medal tables, and similar information at a glance. However, many criticize the app as data-hungry. Users are confronted with numerous permission requests right after downloading. According to “Cybernews,” browsing histories, email addresses, and other personal data are collected and forwarded to third parties, especially advertisers.
Additionally, a security firm emphasizes: “The International Olympic Committee (IOC) openly admits to collecting personal data, creating user profiles, and sharing data with advertisers like Facebook, Google, Apple, or X. The IOC told Cybernews that several permissions are necessary to provide ‘the best possible experience.'”
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Not Just the Official App Is Problematic
But the official Olympic app is not the only data collector. Eleven other applications also gather plenty of data. This mainly affects visitors to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The following applications are involved:
- Bonjour RATP
- TheFork
- Citymapper
- Paris 2024 Public Transport
- Marathon Pour Tous Paris 2024
- Paris 2024 Transport Accred.
- Get Set – Train Smarter
- PinQuest
- S.E.A.T. P24
- Athlete365
IT specialists found that some apps–despite claiming not to collect data–still captured user data. For example, the game “PinQuest,” which tests Olympic knowledge, requests access to the camera and files, even though it claims not to collect user data. Specifically, 3 out of 12 apps stated they collect precise location data. However, “Cybernews” discovered that three more applications also requested location data.
The data collection statements made by app developers in the Google Play Store often do not reflect the full extent of actual data usage. In many cases, more data is collected and shared than developers indicate. This leads to a loss of trust among users who may not be fully informed about data collection practices.
In response to “Cybernews,” the IOC defended itself by emphasizing that users have control over the permissions granted and that all data is processed in accordance with applicable data protection regulations.
The Data Is Particularly Popular
Cyber specialists have examined which data is most frequently collected by apps. At the top of the list, unsurprisingly, is the name. This is followed by email addresses, user IDs, app interactions, crash logs, and other data.
Regarding permissions, many apps request extensive access. Seven out of twelve apps want to access storage, while six out of twelve applications request access to precise location and the camera. The “most data-hungry” app is “Bonjour RATP.” This application is used for navigation in Paris, purchasing tickets, and finding routes.
If users agree to all permissions, the app will automatically start after a phone restart and run in the background to track the exact location. It could make audio and video recordings, access photos and videos, and potentially upload them.
In addition to data collection by apps, there are also concerns about surveillance by AI-powered video monitoring systems in Paris. These systems are intended to enhance security during the games but also raise questions about privacy protection.