Zero privacy! UC Browser collects private browsing data from users on Android and iOS

The “Incognito Mode” offered by browsers is a Safety feature A useful tool that protects users from Location tracking By automatically deleting your browsing history, cookies, and other data.

Developed by UCWeb for Alibaba, UC . Browser With the clear promise of offering the same safe browsing, but a report from a security researcher suggests that Browser privacy is deceptive It poses risks to the user.

When using reverse engineering to analyze the behavior of the UC Browser, Gabriel Cirlig found that both versions – to Android e iOS – Track the outgoing data on each site the user visits, even if it uses anonymous mode.

As noted by the researcher, and later confirmed by Forbes professionals, data on browsing habits is sent to the servers of the Chinese developer UCWeb. This information includes an IP address, which can be used to track a user’s location.

The investigation indicates that the servers, although they are officially registered in China and provide the country domain “.cn”, are located in the United States. The devices store an identification number for each user, so their activity on any website they visit is monitored.

In the video below, a security researcher demonstrated this behavior across an Android device. When you access your website without trackers, the traffic detection software reported a file Send many encrypted data to servers to UCWeb.

By decrypting this data, Cirlig discovered that your IP address, the URL of the website you visited, and your digital identity that stores all your online activity while using the browser.

Forbes compares this behavior with google chrome policy, which does not record any user data while browsing through an anonymous window. “This kind of tracking [do UC Browser] This is done on purpose and without any regard for user privacy,” Searlig said.

Remember that the browser came to be It was removed from the Play Store in 2017Accused of violating the privacy policy of the system signed by Google. At that time, it was discovered that the program sent user information to third parties without explicit permission.

Ali Baba The largest online trading company around the world, and UCWeb has yet to comment on the case.