Beat the Microbead Security & Privacy Scorecard

Android

94
Overall trust score
Very Secure
95
Security
93
Privacy

Firebase Analytics and Google's advertising identifier are used to track app usage. User data stays on the device and is not sold or shared with third parties beyond standard Google services.

Best for

Shoppers wanting to avoid microplastics

Findings

  • 0 critical
  • 1 high
  • 3 medium
  • 2 low
  • 3 info

1 issue identified across security and privacy analysis.

Top security issues

  • Cleartext Traffic Exception for IP Address
  • Backup Configuration Allows Data Exposure
  • Unencrypted Local Database

Top privacy issues

  • Pre-Consent Analytics Initialization (GDPR Violation)
  • Google Advertising ID Collection Without Consent
  • Install Referrer Attribution Tracking

Full analysis

Beat the Microbead

What This Means for You

Firebase Analytics and Google's advertising identifier are used to track app usage. User data stays on the device and is not sold or shared with third parties beyond standard Google services.

Recommendation: Trustworthy

Best For: Shoppers wanting to avoid microplastics

Key Findings

Data Security - 2 findings (1 medium, 1 low)

Network Security - 2 findings (1 medium, 1 low)

Code Safety - 0 findings

Privacy - 3 findings (1 high, 1 medium, 1 info)

Privacy Concerns

What Data is Collected

Firebase Analytics collects information about how the app is used, including which features are interacted with and how often. Google's advertising identifier links activity to a unique device ID used for ad targeting across other apps on the phone.

Third-Party Data Sharing

Usage data is shared with Google through Firebase Analytics and Google Play Services. The app does not pass user information to other companies or data brokers.

Understanding the Scores

Category Score
Security 95/100
Privacy 93/100
Data Security 97/100
Network Security 97/100
Code Safety 100/100
Data Collection 93/100
Data Sharing 100/100
User Control 93/100

Positive Security Features

  • The app limits data sharing to Firebase and Google's own services, keeping user information within Google's ecosystem.
  • User history and preferences are stored locally on the device rather than uploaded to external servers.
  • The app achieves a perfect code safety rating, reflecting careful engineering and high-quality implementation standards.

Areas for Improvement

  • Google's advertising identifier is active, which links activity within this app to a device-level ID used for targeting ads across other apps on the phone.
  • Some communications between the app and external services could apply stronger safeguards, as user data may not be fully protected during transmission.
  • The app's data collection settings offer limited options for users to reduce or opt out of usage tracking.

About This Analysis

App Details

Field Value
App Beat the Microbead
Package org.plasticsoupfoundation.microbeads
Version 3.2.0 (Build 26)
Scan Date 2026-03-07

Versions & scan history

ScanDateOverall score
#1 (current) 94/100