Messenger - Texting App

"We will also visit the following information to provide you an enhanced user experience: Device & app history - Retrieve running apps, Read your Web bookmarks and history; Identity/Contacts - Find accounts on the device, Read/Modify your contacts, Read your own contact card; Calendar - Read calendar events plus confidential information, Add or modify calendar events and send emails to guests without owners' knowledge; Camera/Microphone - Take pictures and videos, Record audio."

For an SMS messaging app, accessing web browsing history, calendar events (including confidential information), modifying calendar events, reading running apps, and recording audio goes far beyond what core functionality requires.

"Location: Approximate location (network-based), Precise location (GPS and network-based). Device Information: When you access our website or use our software, the information we collect include IP Addresses, location data, Device ID, Advertiser ID."

The app collects both approximate and precise GPS location data, which is unnecessary for an SMS messaging app and is combined with device identifiers that enable tracking.

"We provide the information we collect to third parties, such as advertisers, in order to provide you with commercial advertisements. To improve our product and provide you better service, we also share personal data with vendors or agents working on our behalf for the purposes described in this privacy policy."

The app shares data with at least 12 named advertising networks (Amazon, AppLovin, Facebook, Google AdMob, Smaato, Pangle, Unity, Vungle, InMobi, PubNative, Criteo, Fyber) plus their sub-partners.

"When you access our website or use our software, the information we collect include IP Addresses, location data, Device ID, Advertiser ID, browser type and settings, device type and settings, and operating system (such as iOS and Android)."

Collection of Advertiser ID and Device ID alongside IP addresses enables cross-app and cross-service tracking, especially when shared with the numerous advertising partners listed in the policy.

"Emoji SMS Messenger reserves the right to modify these policies at any time. We invite you to periodically consult this section for possible updates and changes. Notification of any major changes may be sent to you by email or a system message to your account."

The company can change the privacy policy at any time, and notification of major changes only "may" be sent — there is no guarantee users will be informed of changes.

"Personal data collected for the purposes of the Company's legitimate interests shall be retained as long as needed to fulfill such purposes. The company may be allowed to retain personal data for a longer period whenever the User has given consent to such processing, as long as such consent is not withdrawn. Furthermore, the Company may be obligated to retain personal data for a longer period whenever required to do so for the performance of a legal obligation."

The retention policy is vague — data is kept "as long as needed" for broadly defined legitimate interests, with multiple exceptions allowing indefinite retention.