TrackerControl

TrackerControl is an Android app that allows users to monitor and control the widespread, ongoing, hidden data collection in mobile apps about user behaviour (tracking).

To detect tracking, TrackerControl combines the power of the Disconnect blocklist (used by Firefox), the DuckDuckGo Tracker Radar for mobile apps, and an in-house blocklist created from analysing approximately 2,000,000 apps. To protect your privacy from your ISP, you can optionally encrypt your DNS traffic using DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH). Additionally, TrackerControl supports custom blocklists and uses signatures from ClassyShark3xodus and Exodus Privacy for tracker library analysis within app code.

This approach:

- Reveals the companies behind tracking - Allows selective blocking of tracking - Exposes the purposes of tracking, such as analytics or advertising

The app also aims to educate users about their rights under Data Protection Law, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Under the hood, TrackerControl uses Android's VPN functionality to analyse apps' network communications locally on the device. This is accomplished through a local VPN server, enabling network traffic analysis.

No root is required. Other VPNs or Android's "Private DNS" feature are not supported due to Android limitations, but TrackerControl provides its own Secure DNS (DNS-over-HTTPS / DoH) feature to protect DNS traffic. No external VPN server is used, keeping your data safe. TrackerControl also protects against DNS cloaking, a popular technique used to hide trackers in websites and apps.

TrackerControl will always be free and open source, as a research project.

Blocking Modes

Minimal

- Tracker lists: DuckDuckGo only - Essential services: Allowed - Ambiguous shared IPs: Allowed - Granular per-tracker control: No - Auto-exclude known incompatible apps from VPN: Yes - Current default for new installs: Yes

Standard

- Tracker lists: All (X-Ray, Disconnect, DDG) - Essential services: Allowed - Ambiguous shared IPs: Allowed - Granular per-tracker control: Yes - Auto-exclude known incompatible apps from VPN: No - Current default for new installs: No

Strict

- Tracker lists: All - Essential services: Blocked - Ambiguous shared IPs: Blocked - Granular per-tracker control: Yes - Auto-exclude known incompatible apps from VPN: No - Current default for new installs: No

In practice, the modes differ as follows:

- Minimal uses only DuckDuckGo's mobile tracker list, blocks only trackers marked as safe to block, does not offer per-tracker toggles, and automatically excludes known incompatible apps (such as browsers) from the VPN for compatibility. - Standard uses all tracker sources, keeps per-app and per-tracker controls enabled, and allows the Content category by default to reduce breakage. - Strict uses the same tracker sources as Standard, but also blocks the Content category and blocks ambiguous mixed shared-IP cases where a tracker hostname and a non-tracker hostname resolve to the same IP.

TrackerControl currently defaults to Minimal blocking mode for new installs. All versions allow changing the blocking mode in Settings.

Highlights

TrackerControl provides:

- Real-time monitoring of app tracking, including destination companies and countries - Granular blocking of app tracking - One-click data requests as granted under EU Data Protection Legislation - Ad-blocking using widely available host files - Tracker library analysis of apps' code - Secure DNS using DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) (optional)

Contrary to similar solutions, this app does not intercept SSL connections, minimising privacy risks and allowing usage on unrooted Android devices. Only metadata about network communications is logged and displayed to users.

Privacy Notice

TrackerControl does not send any personal data off your device.

TrackerControl allows users to monitor network communications on their Android device. This network data qualifies as personal data, but is only processed locally on the user's device.

If the user consents, TrackerControl contacts the Google Play Store to retrieve further information about installed apps. The app automatically contacts GitHub to check for updates, which can be disabled in settings. No personal data is ever shared, other than what is strictly necessary for network communications (e.g., IP address).

TrackerControl uses the ACRA plugin. This is considered a "good" tracker — it is open-source and could be used to collect crash reports automatically, but TrackerControl DOES NOT do this. Instead, users must manually report crashes via email. ACRA shows a dialog for this in TrackerControl.

TrackerControl itself never sends any personal data off your device.

Cookie Policy

TrackerControl does not use cookies of any kind.

The only information saved on the user's device is non-identifying and strictly necessary for operation:

- A database of network communications - User settings

This information remains on the device until manually removed by the user (e.g., by uninstalling).

License

Unless otherwise indicated, this project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.