Yandex is harvesting data from millions of iOS users - Confirmed Report by Apple Insider.

[Mcinwwl]

Well, most of the article covers what is a data data harvesting and pseudo-privacy (yeah, you are anonymous, we just send you ads based on your psychological profile, location, and usage history directly to your face) with one exception:

https://www.ft.com/content/c02083b5-8a0a-48e5-b850-831a3e6406bb

Quote

Seven of the VPNs are made specifically for a Ukrainian audience. Total installs of apps that include the AppMetrica SDK are in the hundreds of millions, according to Appfigures, an app intelligence group.

Conversely, more than 2,000 apps have added the AppMetrica SDK since the invasion of Ukraine, including several that appear designed to track Ukrainian users. “Call Ukraine,” for instance, is a “free messenger for Ukrainians” that launched in the Play Store on March 10 using the blue and yellow flag as its icon. Once downloaded, the app can see a user’s identity and read their contacts. The developer includes a dummy email address: “help.service@internet.ru.”

Which might mean usage of Yandex data for one of the sides of biggest military conflict in Europe since WWII.

Yet still, one can argue that every big tech company is tied to their governments and baidu/google/amazon/whoeva will do the same with their data which up to me is very likely true. Thus, who's worse is a matter of political preference, which I'll purposedly avoid for the sake of the community and following the rules So my main point is that the data harvesting is a problem, not the Yandex itself. But sadly, I do not see there is any turnback, as the technology is there, it pays off, and average user is held back by "prove me I do not collect your data" argument.

Another thing is that such apps as the described above can be taken down by content reviewers in google/apple store, only if these people were allowed to use their brains. I've been working in such place and believe me, it was painful and harmful to be in such place. It was M4 not G or A, but I doubt it matters.