A comprehensive investigation by Which? and Hexiosec analyzed 20 popular Android applications, revealing that all request permissions that could compromise user privacy. The Xiaomi Home app had the highest number of permission requests at 91, followed by Samsung SmartThings with 82, Facebook with 69, and WhatsApp with 66. While some permissions are necessary for functionality, the excessive requests raise concerns about digital surveillance. TikTok faced scrutiny for its audio recording and device file access requests, while Temu was criticized for excessive promotional emails linked to its location access. Amazon defended its camera access requests as enhancing user experience, and Meta stated that its apps do not use the microphone without user involvement. The investigation highlights the trade-off between free services and the collection of personal data.