A Huge Chinese Video App Is Charging People, Draining Their Batteries, And Exposing Data Without Their Knowledge
VidMate told BuzzFeed News it was investigating the claims, but declined to share basic information about its employees and ownership. More than half a billion people have installed VidMate, an Android app that enables them to download videos from YouTube, WhatsApp, and other platforms. This functionality made VidMate, which has ties to Chinese tech giant Alibaba, hugely popular in countries such as India where streaming mobile video can be expensive or at times unreliable. But it appears that convenience still comes at a high cost for users. VidMate has been displaying hidden ads, secretly subscribing people to paid services, and draining users’ mobile data, according to findings from security researchers at a London-based mobile technology firm. Researchers at Upstream say VidMate subjects its users to a range of suspicious behavior that could be costing them money, draining their phone batteries, and exposing their personal information. During a Skype interview, a VidMate s...