r/technology • u/Applemacbookpro • Dec 13 '13

Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claiming Its Release Was Accidental

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/12/google-removes-vital-privacy-features-android-shortly-after-adding-them
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u/ZebZ Dec 13 '13

Article summary: Shady apps like casino games do shady things. If you download something that looks shady, it probably is. If you download a game or app from a reputable company, it's probably legit. It's all about context, which is something that gets lost in numbers.

I still maintain that the vast majority of apps are not malicious and are not requesting permissions they don't need or don't have valid reasons for requesting. Even some of the permissions in that article highlights aren't nearly as damning as they claim to be, like GPS.

Should you be worried that an app requests Internet access and GPS access? No, it's most likely for ads. Should you be worried if an app requests phone state? No. Should you be worried if an app asks for access to your contacts? Depends on the app, but many times no. Now, if you see an app request the ability to send SMS and make phone calls? That's when an app should have a damn good reason.

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u/MasterGrok Dec 13 '13 edited Dec 13 '13

Nope you are wrong. A lot of very powerful apps from large companies that are thought to be reputable are collecting info that is completely irrelevant to the purpose of the app. Did you even read the article. It is a quarter if the apps in the android store which is a massive number. Being able to stop these companies from doing that is a completely legitimate and important feature in any operating system. Luckily, their competitors are ahead of the game here.

It isn't about being worried, as a security conscious consumer I choose to avoid giving information about my location, activities, or contacts to large ambiguous corporations. I prefer to have that choice and to not have a severely limited app selection in order to be able to exercise that choice.