Twitter, hungry for new data to fuel its targeted advertising, will start looking at what other apps its users have downloaded.
Starting Wednesday, the company will begin collecting data on which other apps its users have on their iOS and Android smartphones. The data, Twitter says, will help it deliver better “tailored content” to its users. That’s sure to include ads, but maybe also better recommendations about whom to follow when users sign up, or more relevant first tweets in the feed, which could help Twitter hook people early.
It’s strictly a list of the apps users have installed, Twitter says, not data pertaining to what people do inside those apps. So Twitter would know if you have a ride-hailing app, but it wouldn’t see your rides taken with the app.
Twitter is not the only company to collect this sort of data—other major Internet companies like Google and Facebook do it too under certain circumstances. Facebook, if a developer has integrated its software kit, might use the data for mobile app ads.
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Twitter starts peeking at the other apps on your phone | PCWorld