A recent report by cybersecurity company Surfshark has identified Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram as the most privacy-invasive apps among 100 popular applications.

The research, based on 32 criteria outlined in Apple’s privacy policy, highlighted that both Facebook and Instagram collect all 32 data points, making them the only two apps to do so, IANS reported.

The study revealed that these apps, products of Meta Platforms, utilize seven of the 32 user data points, including information such as name, physical address, and phone number for tracking purposes. The remaining data points were associated with user identity but not employed for tracking.

While X, formerly known as Twitter, gathered less user data, it was noted as the least reluctant to share it with external parties. Nearly half of the 22 data pieces gathered by X were used for tracking.

The research encompassed 10 social media and messaging applications, unveiling that these apps, on average, collected more user data than usual.

Meanwhile, Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is compelled to participate in a deposition as part of an ongoing lawsuit in Texas concerning the company’s face recognition technology.

The state court rejected Meta’s appeal, reinforcing the legal scrutiny surrounding privacy issues and data practices.