“We are collecting and occasionally updating the list of apps installed on your mobile device so we can deliver tailored content that you might be interested in,” Twitter explains in the “Help Center” section of its Web site according to Mediapost.
Twitter users may be unaware that their beloved app has more access to info on their phone than they might know or like. This is all part of Twitter’s “app graph” initiatve where Twitter is privy to what other apps users have on their devices to create “a more personal Twitter experience”. The move is similar to the way Facebook also collects user data for marketing purposes as well.
Twitter is tracking this information to better their “Who To Follow” suggestions as well as showing users sponsored content that is more interesting to them. They will continue to honor those who have opted out of their interest-based ads by not tracking those users’ information.
This new move for Twitter will likely make them even more attractive to advertisers who want to use the platform for their purposes and may be very helpful for mobile game marketers looking to expand their reach on social media.
Although Twitter advertising costs are a bit higher on the platform than Facebook, engagement with brand tweets grew 83 percent in the 4th quarter of 2013.