BNR | Nieuws, Radio & Podcasts Security & Privacy Scorecard
Android
Listening habits and behavior are tracked by multiple ad and analytics companies, including Facebook and Google, to serve targeted ads. User data is shared with attribution services like Adjust and audience measurement tools like Comscore. Ad preferences and consent are managed through Sourcepoint, giving users some control over how their data is used for advertising.
Best for
BNR listeners comfortable with ad-supported news
Avoid if
You want news without ad targeting or behavioral tracking
Findings
- 3 critical
- 3 high
- 6 medium
- 1 low
- 5 info
1 issue identified across security and privacy analysis.
Top security issues
- Unencrypted Authentication Tokens in SharedPreferences
- Backup Configuration Allows Data Exposure
- Cleartext HTTP Traffic Enabled Globally
Top privacy issues
- Pre-Consent Push Notification SDK Initialization (GDPR Violation)
- Attribution Tracking Without Verified Consent Gate
- Advertising Permissions Without Granular User Control
Full analysis
BNR | Nieuws, Radio & Podcasts
What This Means for You
Listening habits and behavior are tracked by multiple ad and analytics companies, including Facebook and Google, to serve targeted ads. User data is shared with attribution services like Adjust and audience measurement tools like Comscore. Ad preferences and consent are managed through Sourcepoint, giving users some control over how their data is used for advertising.
Recommendation: Use With Caution
Best For: BNR listeners comfortable with ad-supported news
Avoid If: You want news without ad targeting or behavioral tracking
Key Findings
Data Security - 5 findings (2 critical, 3 medium)
Network Security - 3 findings (1 critical, 1 high, 1 medium)
Code Safety - 0 findings
Privacy - 3 findings (1 high, 1 medium, 1 low)
Privacy Concerns
What Data is Collected
Listening behavior, app interactions, and device identifiers are collected to support advertising and analytics. This includes information about which content is played, how long users listen, and device characteristics.
Third-Party Data Sharing
User data is shared with the following third-party services:
- Firebase (Messaging, Crashlytics, Analytics) - app performance and messaging
- Google Mobile Ads - advertising
- Facebook SDK - behavioral profiling and advertising
- Batch - push notification and user engagement tracking
- Adjust - attribution and install tracking
- Comscore - audience measurement
- Sourcepoint - ad consent management
- Google Cast - media casting
- Google User Messaging Platform - consent and privacy messaging
Understanding the Scores
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Security | 60/100 |
| Privacy | 88/100 |
| Data Security | 62/100 |
| Network Security | 76/100 |
| Code Safety | 93/100 |
| Data Collection | 85/100 |
| Data Sharing | 100/100 |
| User Control | 89/100 |
Positive Security Features
- No specific positive security practices were identified for this version of the app.
Areas for Improvement
- Sensitive data stored on the device may be accessible to other installed apps on the same device, reducing privacy protections.
- Some connections between the app and its servers use weaker protections, meaning user data may not be fully protected during transmission.
- The breadth of third-party advertising and tracking services means behavioral data is shared with more companies than users might expect.
About This Analysis
This scorecard is based on automated static analysis of the app. Scores reflect security and privacy practices observed in the version analyzed.
App Details
- App: BNR | Nieuws, Radio & Podcasts
- Package: nl.fd.bnr
- Version: 7.1.0 (build 422)
- Scan Date: 2026-03-05
Versions & scan history
| Scan | Date | Overall score |
|---|---|---|
| #1 (current) | 74/100 |