LastPass, one of the most widely used free password managers, recently announced that it will be making big changes to its free tier. Just two weeks after the news was disclosed, a German security firm, Exodus, revealed that the platform employs seven different trackers to collect and send personal information of subscribers using the Android app.
The password manager does allow you to opt-out of those trackers, but many users are not aware of what they do and how the very existence of the built-in software could pose a security risk for them.
Exodus revealed that the trackers collect data such as device information, mobile operator, the type of LastPass account, and the Google Advertising ID. Out of the seven trackers mentioned, four are for Google analytics and crash reports. The other three serve as information hubs for AppsFlyer, MixPanel, and Segment. For those who don’t know, these companies specialize in user profiling and targeting ads.
When asked to comment on the matter, LastPass’s spokesperson says that all of the trackers serve to improve the user experience. The company claims that they don’t send out sensitive user information.
However, despite the claims, it only makes sense to disable the trackers. You can prevent the trackers from tracking your data by heading to the Privacy sub-menu in the app. From there, you can individually turn them off.