In a detailed report compiled by Canada's Citizen Lab, researchers analysed the MY2022 app for potential privacy and security issues. The investigation found that the app collects a long list of sensitive information including device identifiers and hardware model, service provider information, a list of other apps installed on the device, WLAN status, real-time location, audio access, and access to storage, among other sensitive personal data.

The collection of this data is disclosed in the app's privacy policy and is ostensibly required for Covid-19 protection controls, translation services, Weibo integration, and tourism recommendations and navigation.

According to Citizen Lab, the app's encryption system also has a major flaw that potentially enables bad actors to access documents, audio and files saved on the device in text form.

The MY2022 app is also subject to censorship based on a built-in list of keywords, which include the names...