For a company that's recently been trying to repair its relationship with app developers, Twitter's move to track other apps among its users may not be helping much.
The company revealed that those using its native app will be using information gleaned from other apps on a device to offer more "targeted" communications, most likely marketing messages.
Developers were quick to sound off on their scorn, disdain and disgust on--what else? Twitter.
"we are collecting and occasionally updating the list of apps installed on your mobile device" https://t.co/vlimSNGYa7 Thanks Twitter
— Justin Yost (@jtyost2) November 27, 2014
A holiday gift from Twitter - automatically gathering your installed apps to "tailor" your experience #privacy pic.twitter.com/h29BPi0KTI
— Mike Beltzner (@beltzner) November 27, 2014
However, a few firms which offer similar services were quick to point out that Twitter is hardly alone in trying to make use of the proliferation of mobile app data out there.
Much furor about Twitter starting to scan phones for installed apps, but others have been doing this for years. http://t.co/fFECTZTegq
— SourceDNA (@SourceDNA) November 27, 2014
Several developers on social media didn't seem to care. The whole thing just turned them off.
I don't run the "official" Twitter app, still upset: Twitter to Start Tracking Which Apps Its Users Have Downloaded http://t.co/WhKmoHBv9E
— Atanas Entchev (@atanas) November 27, 2014
Twitter now collecting data on which apps you download http://t.co/3a2AnIWTlY ~@KurtWagner8 Another reason why @twitter is not on my phone.
— Brad Leege (@bradleege) November 27, 2014
In the end, Twitter may not only have to defend its practices around data collection and analysis, but a sense that it is becoming desperate to drive more revenue.
Total cost of downloading all apps in Twitter's "App Graph" list: $780.85 (only counting apps currently available in the US) #lastrt
— Ole Zorn (@olemoritz) November 27, 2014