NPO adds option to Start app to disable data sharing – update

The NPO has made an update to the Start app that gives users the choice to turn data sharing with advertisers on or off. Previously, this option did not exist, so that the app could only be used if consent was given.

With the update of the NPO Start app released on Monday, users can set whether advertisers are allowed to follow the user in order to offer personal advertisements. This data sharing option, available in the settings menu, is disabled by default. Even then, advertisements will still follow, but they will not be based on the user’s data.

At the end of January, the NPO made it clear that there would be a choice for data sharing in the Start app in the short term. The organization reported that it does not collect data itself and does not pass it on to third parties, but that the app does, for example, collect IP addresses and thus tailor the advertisements to the internet behavior of the user.

The discussion about the sharing of data with advertisers by the NPO started when the umbrella broadcaster added a statement to its app in which agreeing to sharing data is a condition to be able to use the app. The NPO made it clear that an option to turn off data sharing was being worked on, but as this option was missing until now, users could only agree.

Update 20:20: When the option of collecting data about the user’s internet behavior is disabled in the NPO Start app, the app crashes as soon as streaming of any video is started. If the option is enabled, the streams will work properly. It is not yet clear when this will be resolved. The problem seems to mainly affect Android devices.

Update Tuesday 12:55 pm: According to a spokesperson, the problems in the form of the app crashing when opening a video stream have been solved since Monday evening. The issues were related to the pre-rolls, the video ads that play before the stream. These were not loaded correctly, so the desired video could not be played either. On Tuesday, the NPO will release a new, small update to the Start app, so that any future problems with the video ads will not lead to a crashing app.