Any article/info on permissions and data usage asked by apps?

spacescreamer

Journeyman
The recent hype created by the facebook app asking permission to read the user's text messages did created an uncomfortable situation for many, but thankfully it all turned out to be not so concerning.(Why Facebook's Android App Wants to Read Your Text Messages)

Just been thinking if there exists any detailed article explaining how the various apps use the data/permission grants they obtain before installation from the users?

And also if and how this data can be misused..?
Thanks in advance :)
 

Vyom

The Power of x480
Staff member
Admin
Are you trying to make us write an "essay"? :?
No thanks.

"how the various apps use the data/permission grants they obtain"?
Answer is straight. They *can* misuse it. If you ever see a needless permission that an app requires, take it with a pinch of salt. Always do your research before installing any suspicious app.
For eg, a note taking app should not require the permission to read your call logs. And a music player shouldn't require to access address book.

Google introduced a feature with Jellybean where you could toggle the hidden permissions which an app wants to use with a shortcut enabled from an app called "AppOps". But with Kitkat, Google have pulled it from the OS citing reasons of security. And you can read about it here:
Why Android won't be getting App Ops anytime soon | Mobile - CNET News

But Cyanogenmod have hacked their way in and provided a tweak for AppOps to rework. (I have enabled it on stock ROM on Nexus 7).

But the fact of the matter is that unless you trust the developer, any app can misuse the permissions in their apps to get something that they you may not want it to. So keeping an eye on the permission list is important, something which most of us (including me sometimes) don't bother to look into.
 
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