Data Collection Practices of Mobile Applications Played by Preschool-Aged Children.

Importance: Child-directed mobile applications (apps) have been found to collect digital identifiers and transmit them to third-party companies, a potential violation of federal privacy rules. This study seeks to examine the differences in app data collection and sharing practices by evaluating the sociodemographic characteristics of the children who play them.

Objective: To examine data collection and sharing practices of 451 apps played by young children and to test associations with child sociodemographic characteristics.