Google Play Store: Apps can get more permissions without seeking your approval

Discussion in 'privacy problems' started by tlu, May 30, 2014.

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  1. tlu

    tlu Guest

    According to news on heise online, the new version 4.8.19 of the Google Play Store will get important changes concerning the permissions of your apps: In the future, capabilities or permissions of apps are condensed in permissions groups.

    At a first glance this looks like an improvement as it seems to be easier to see what an app is allowed to do on your Andriod smartphone. However, heise points to the fact that introducing those permission groups doesn't only have a cosmetic effect. If an app has gotten the permission for a specific group, it's easy for it to get more rights once it is updated. For example, if you accpted that an app has the permission to read your contacts, an update of that app can extend that - without your consent! - to
    • Modify your contacts
    • Read calendar events plus confidential information
    • Add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owners' knowledge
    as those permissions belong to the same permissions group "Contacts/Calendar".

    My suggestion: Install a custom ROM like CyanogenMod with a built-in permission manager. This is obviously getting more and more important.
     
  2. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    As long as they're Google-approved... is the only "nice" thing I'm going to say.
     
  3. ha14

    ha14 Registered Member

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    hope they are not stealing private info!!!
     
  4. tlu

    tlu Guest

    You can never be sure about this! That's why I suggested a custom ROM with a built-in permission manager, or, alternatively, something like XPrivacy.(See also here.)
     
  5. tlu

    tlu Guest

    arstechnica also reports about this problem.
     
  6. Carver

    Carver Registered Member

    Joined:
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    USA
    I read what requirements are of each app for my computer are and at the moment I deleted a Calender; mail; financial and news app on my Window 8.1 computer because I couldn't get any video clips that were attached to a news article. But maybe it is wiser to use only the apps that came with the phone or only have the necessary apps on your Android phone like one for the bank and NOT one to turn off the house lights or games and use a permission manager.
     
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