According to hackread, Several fake ChatGPT clone apps have surfaced on the official iOS and Play Stores, collecting user data and sending it to remote servers. On Android devices, one of the apps analyzed by researchers has more than 100,000 downloads, tracks, and shares location data with ByteDance and Amazon, etc.
Jake Moore from ESET stated that ChatGPT has been exploded in popularity and can handle almost any query it faces. However, as the AI service is accessible only from web browser without providing a convenient mobile application, nefarious developers have exploited this and designed multiple apps which misuse the technology to create their own mobile apps. Although this may sound trivial at first, these apps contain a functionality layer above ChatGPT that request a subscription to use and could potentially collect user and device data. Therefore, people need to be mindful of where and how applications collect and analyse often personal data. Where data is now extremely sought after as a currency, we need to remind users of ways to protect their sensitive information.