Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath thinks your apps are spying on you; He might be right

"Most apps today have become unusable," Kamath wrote in his LinkedIn post.

Kamath stressed that this data is primarily used to build detailed behavioural profiles of users, which fuel highly personalised ad campaigns and maximise advertising revenues for tech companies.

Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath has raised serious concerns over the data practices of modern mobile applications, warning users about what he described as a growing trend of manipulative design, invasive tracking, and unethical data monetisation.

In a series of pointed remarks shared on LinkedIn, Kamath criticised the widespread use of “scammy” tactics by several digital platforms, saying many apps today are cluttered, deceptive, and exploit user data without proper consent.

“Most apps today have become unusable,” Kamath wrote in his LinkedIn post. “They bombard users with irritating notifications, spam messages, and dark patterns, and many are downright scammy.” He warned that beyond the surface-level annoyance of spammy notifications, the larger threat lies in how these apps quietly harvest vast amounts of personal information. According to Kamath, many applications track not just in-app activity but also extend their reach to monitor user behaviour across other apps as well. This data, which could include app usage patterns, personal communications, and even media stored on devices, is then sold to third-party companies for targeted advertising.

“Without your knowledge, numerous apps on your phone track and harvest extensive data: which apps you’ve installed, how you use them, the content of your emails and SMS, media on your device, and more,” he stated. “What’s truly disturbing is that some apps track usage not just within their own environment but across other apps too.”