A risk analysis of android children’s apps

Abstract

The Android security mechanism, building on the privacy self-management model, treats all users equally and expects them to evaluate and manage Apps risks, which can put the privacy and security of vulnerable users at risk. In this paper, we perform a risk analysis of 90 Android Apps meant for children and downloaded from an official App store in China. We consider factors, including the App rating, the number of downloads, developer reputation, and requested Permission to assess the risks of a Children App. We use an analytic hierarchy process-based method for this purpose. Our analysis identifies that about 16% of these Apps pose high and medium risks to their users, and the rest of the Apps are not risk-free either. We propose that there is a need to follow privacy as a shared responsibility model, and the Android security mechanism should also be re-engineered, while considering the privacy protection needs of its users, like children.