As concerns around digital privacy reach an all-time high, a growing number of users are beginning to question just how much their favourite apps really know about them.

According to AI prompt experts platform  – AIPRM, an astonishing 85% of users have deleted an app over privacy concerns, while 82% are now actively opting out of data tracking features.

With over 7.2 billion smartphones in use globally — including tens of millions in Nigeria — the scale of potential data collection is staggering.

Meta Leads the Pack in Data Collection

It’s perhaps no surprise that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, leads the list of companies collecting the most user data.

Both apps use more than 86% of personal data to target users with relevant ads and push their own products.

With over 3.4 billion daily users globally, including millions across Africa, Meta’s platforms represent the largest funnel of digital behavioral data.

Behind Meta is fintech giant Klarna, which uses 64% of consumer data for marketing purposes. The company recently faced a £570,000 fine for breaching the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Uber and Uber Eats follow closely, collecting 57% of personal data for advertising — and have also come under regulatory fire. In 2024, Uber was fined €290 million by Dutch authorities for unlawfully transferring European taxi drivers’ data to U.S. servers.

The Worst Apps for Data Sharing

While collecting user data is one issue, sharing it with third parties adds another layer of concern. Instagram (79%) and Facebook (57%) top the list again for data shared with external parties.

Professional networking site LinkedIn shares 50% of user data and was fined €310 million in 2024 for failing to comply with GDPR transparency requirements. Uber Eats, YouTube, and travel app Trainline were also flagged for sharing at least 43% of their users’ data with third parties.

Nigeria’s Digital Landscape: What Can You Do?

With Nigerian mobile and app usage surging — and a robust local ecosystem of digital products and e-commerce platforms — awareness around data privacy is critical.

Christoph Cemper, founder of AIPRM, highlights the hidden risks of unchecked app permissions:

“Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated, and apps often collect more data than necessary without fully disclosing how it’s used. Users rarely read privacy policies, leaving them in the dark.”

He advises users to:

• Review privacy labels in app stores before downloading.
• Use tools like Android’s Privacy Dashboard or iOS’s Privacy Settings to monitor app access.
• Consider third-party services like AppCensus to analyze what data your apps are collecting.

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Which countries have invested the most in AI between 2019 to 2023? AI statistics from AIPRM compared the investment of each country with the United States, who are currently leading the way for AI investment.

Key findings: 

• The United Statesinvests the most in AI, with a total of $328,548 million spent in the last five years.
• When looking at the investment relative to the country’s overall economic output (GDP), Singapore is leading in AI spending, with $15.01 for every thousand dollars of GDP –  16% more than the U.S investment (per thousand $GDP).

Top 10 countries with the most AI investment (2019 – 2023)

AI statistics from AIPRM, has found that the United States is the country investing the most in AI, with $328,548 million spent in the last five years. They have invested $67,911 million in 2023 alone, a 65.94% increase from that of 2019. 

China places second with $132,665 million spent on AI between 2019 to 2023, around 60% less than the United States. The country’s investment in AI has been slowing down since 2019, totalling $15,071 million in 2023, about a third less than their spending in 2019.

In third place is the United Kingdom with a $25,541 million investment across the same period, almost 13 times less than the US by comparison.

The other tech giant country in Asia, India, ranks fourth place with a $16,147 million investment in AI in the last five years. The country exceeds Germany, who ranks fifth by nearly 13% ($1,847 million).

The country with the most significant growth in AI investment in the past five years is Sweden – an astonishing 2310%!

When AI investment statistics are judged against the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product), Singapore comes out on top.

Despite placing tenth in terms of the amount of money spent, their investment over the past 5 years is equivalent to 1.5% of its current GDP (in 2022). When compared to the U.S, their rate of AI investment is outpacing the U.S by 16% per thousand $GDP.

This is followed closely by Sweden whose investment in AI is over 14 dollars per thousand $ GDP – equivalent to 1.4%. They are also the only other nation investing more than the U.S in AI in relative wealth terms (over 9%).

The United States is investing $12.90 per thousand $GDP (1.29%), followed by Estonia who is investing $10.89 per thousand $ GDP (1.089%).

Full study: AI statistics 

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