Android users

forgotmyname

Yeah get an Iphone because that wont steal your data will it?

Oh dear...

If you need an app to secure your phone and track it if its stolen then it needs access to the right features.

I have lookout and it can do the same. It can take photo's also. So if the person uses your phone you may have a lovely photo of them to show the police who had your phone.

Simple solution. Dont get ANY smartphone. Or dont install those Apps.

SunnySusie

As users we should pay attention to the permissions requested and if you are unhappy, challenge them in the app feedback.

The good news is that many people in the Android community will be challenging the permissions of mainstream apps.

Apple reviews all apps before publication and have their own rules of acceptable use. If an iOS app was doing something inappropriate it, in theory, won't be published. Mind you, Apple has had its fair share of data misuse scandals, have a google!

techno12 wrote: »

When writing Android apps there's a default set of permissions, specified in the manifest.xml file, and I bet a lot of developers are just leaving it at default (so it pops up requesting everything).

I'm not an expert but haven't had that experience. The basic apps I have done request no permissions. It would surely be a big flaw in the system if permissions were being requested by default?

Google says:

A central design point of the Android security architecture is that no application, by default, has permission to perform any operations that would adversely impact other applications, the operating system, or the user.

But like I say, I'm no expert.

Lum

If an app is requesting permissions that seem unnecessary, and the app description doesn't bother to explain why it needs them then move on to another app. There's hundreds of apps out there that do the same thing.

Any non-shady app that needs a dodgy looking permission will explain why, e.g. that Facebook that lets you call your Facebook contacts directly will obviously need the ability to make phone calls.

At least Android tells you what permission the apps need rather than just letting any app do what it likes.