An SMobile Systems report finds that approximately 20 percent of the apps available in the Android marketplace give a third party access to private data.

"And some of the apps were found to have the ability to do things like make calls and send text messages without requiring interaction from the mobile user," writes CNET News' Elinor Mills. "For instance, 5 percent of the apps can place calls to any number and 2 percent can allow an app to send unknown SMS messages to premium numbers that incur expensive charges."

"The report found that dozens of apps have the same type of access to sensitive information as known spyware does, including access to the content of e-mails and text messages, phone call information, and device location, said Dan Hoffman, chief technology officer at SMobile Systems," Mills writes.

Click here to read the CNET News article.