The next issue of the Gazebo is devoted to a seemingly innocuous process, fraught with a potential danger to the privacy of users of gadgets based on Android – granting applications certain permissions.
For smart users, the process of granting permissions to [applications] on Android devices, by analogy with installing software on a PC, often causes stupor and confusion. Why on earth would an application need access to a camera, contacts, etc. in order to work? The answer to the question can be drastically different depending on the position, whether it's a cunning and secretive developer or the standard open [permissions] process required by Google.
You can recall last year's scandal with permissions for Facebook Messenger that rocked the world wide web. Nominally, the list of granted rights meant that Facebook could record audio and video at any time, access files, modify them, send anything to friends without your permission.
As it turned out, the essence of the problem with permissions lies in the peculiarities of the ecosystem structure Android – applications and in the fact that inherently different applications require similar permissions. For example, any 'flashlight' application requires permission to take photos and videos without your confirmation. This is due to the fact that the LED diode used as a flashlight is an integral and inseparable part of the camera's circuit layout. This is why the resolution is so uncompromising. Technically speaking, if an app 'can' turn on a flashlight, it can also take photos and videos, so Google's requirements include a request for such rights.
On the other hand, dodgy developers will overstep the 'needs' of the app by including permissions to profit from selling ads or through in-app purchases. Such purchases, in particular, can be a source of high risk if your device is not configured to require a password for purchases on Google Play. Permissions for features such as location, app history, and phonebook are reasonable in mapping apps, navigators, browsers, or social media apps, but they don't belong in games or 'flashlights'.
You should be most careful with free apps, because they often share your personal information with third parties or sell advertisements. Understanding this aspect, as well as carefully reviewing the required permissions when stopping, will be the first step in combating cheating, but there is one more point to keep in mind. Paying a dollar for an app with a limited set of permissions would be a wiser move than using a free app that requires a lot more than it needs to be.
And finally, it is worth recalling that if you do not really need this or that application, then there is no need to install it. But if you decide, take the time to understand what you are consenting to, this will minimize the possible risk.
Original article by Ken Colburn
Elir: When installing apps from the Google Play Store, we often don't think about this fleeting and subtle but important aspect of the ecosystem Android. Not all of us are experienced users, and some, perhaps, did not even think about the security of their privacy and personal information when downloading another 'decorator' for their device. There is something to think about, be careful!