PERMISSIONS QUESTIONS

[crimar30]

Is anyone concerned about downloading "free" apps from Google Play? I've downloaded lot's, and have just started reading about the "permissions". This all seems pretty underhanded to me!

[Tiny]

Everyone should be concerned.  For the most part permissions are benign and used by developers to determine what kind of advertising to send to your machine.  There have been a few apps that were downright evil.  Fortunately, they were found pretty quickly and removed from the play store.  Google can also remove them from your Android device.

If you use Android software, I recommend that you closely check the permissions that programs request before you install them.  This is especially true for new software on the market.  Some of the permissions that could cost you money are:
   a) Make Phone Calls.  This could allow an application to call a 1-900 number and charge you money.
   b) Send SMS or MMS.  This could let an application send a text message on your behalf, and much like the phone call feature above, it could cost you money.
   Other permissions could allow a rogue program to steal your personal data or make changes on your device that you don't want to happen.  Examples are:
   a) Modify/Delete SD Card Contents will allow the application to read, write, and delete anything stored on your device’s SD card.
   b) Read Contact Data is extra scary for me.  Unless an app explicitly states a specific feature that it would use your contact list for, there isn’t much of a reason tor you to allow it.
   c) Full Internet Access could be the most important permission you will want to pay
attention to.  For any malware to truly be effective it needs a means by which to transfer data off of your machine.  This is one of the settings it would definitely have to ask for.

[JayJ]

Couldn't agree more with what Tiny has written however if your talking free apps the last permission, internet access is going to be on most free applications because of ads,
That doesn't mean don't install free apps that ask for internet permissions, just simply remember if it's new be extra care and avoid apps with low download counts. Let somebody else be the Ginuea Pig!

[Tiny]

I'm not much of a gamer, but I don't get any advertising when I play them.  I just turn off WIFI.

[JayJ]

My N7 is rooted and I use an application called AdFree so no ads here either.

[crimar30]

Not really too concerned about the ad's, it's the other possible damage and harm they could do. I wonder if it's any better buying apps from Amazon, or just the same as the Google Play store? Has anyone bought apps from Amazon?

[S.Prime]

I frequently purchase Apps from the Amazon App Store and take advantage of their free app of the day, which occasionally is a great deal. I find little difference in the Google Play Store and the Amazon App Shop, but if I am about to buy an app, I compare pricing, as occasionally one of them may have the app discounted.

[JayJ]

Not really too concerned about the ad's, it's the other possible damage and harm they could do. I wonder if it's any better buying apps from Amazon, or just the same as the Google Play store? Has anyone bought apps from Amazon?

It's not the ads themselves, it's the fact an app with ads will ask for internet access as a permission.
The internet permission is something rogue or malware apps will ask for so they can send your sensitive/personal data!

On another note, I wish Amazon would get there finger out and bring the Amazon App Store to the UK. Just as I wish Google would get there finger out and bring Google Music, Google Magazines and Google Wallet to our UK devices.

[Tiny]

One of my rules on downloading applications is that I don't d/l new ones.  I can wait for a couple of months to make sure that they aren't evil.

[Newbieoldguy]

I've found that many paid apps also require ridiculous permissions. One paid app for recipes wants every thing including network access.
I've just written to the devs about it and will post if they either do or do not reply. I'm new to android but I believe it will only get worse if we don't complain. I hope I haven't offended anyone on here. :-)

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

[JayJ]

Honestly the chances are the network permission are because the recipes aren't contained within the application but pulled from the internet...

Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2©

[Newbieoldguy]

Thanks Jay, When looking at permissions on my N7 it tells me that full internet access is not required to send or receive from the internet. So confusing :-(  I still love my N7 though.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

[engineer]

Permissions have me very worried too. Has anybody tried LBE security master? It seems to provide some control of permissions and also blocks ads.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2