X-Mode trackers appeared in apps that have been downloaded at least 1 billion times.
The trackers, which can reveal your location, are raising privacy concerns.
Google and Applehave bannedthe X-Mode trackers because of alleged sales of tracking information to the military.
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Despite the ban, ExpressVPN found that only 10% of these apps have been removed from Google Play.
The findings are part of a broader study on location trackers by the ExpressVPN Digital Security Lab.
All 450 apps ExpressVPN analyzed contained questionable trackers.
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These apps collectively have been downloaded at least 1.7 billion times by consumers worldwide, the company said.
Trackers are big business for those who make them.
Tracker makers evade restrictions by burying the code deep within an app.
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Regularly look through and audit permissions that you give to your apps.
“For example, does your expense tracker app really need to track location to function?”
To protect yourself from trackers, you could use software tools that act as tracker blockers.
“Your movements can still be tracked,” he added.
“But the tracker doesnt know your identity or true location.”
