Google Play hides app permission changes in automatic updates

by
Anonymous Coward
in google on (#3SF)
story imageGoogle has changed how new app permissions are applied when updating Google Play apps. Previously, automatically updated apps displayed explicit details and required user confirmation when a new version gained additional privileges. Google Play no longer displays the addition of new privileges if a user has previously accepted any other permission in the same category as the new permission. This makes it possible for an app to sneak in permission changes without the user realising making the Android platform less secure.

Re: Does anyone really read them? (Score: 1)

by seriously@pipedot.org on 2014-08-11 08:08 (#3SG)

It's not like you aren't going to install the "Facebook" app if you don't fully agree with one of the bullet items on the permission list.
Actually that's the very reason I uninstalled the skype app a few months ago, it started asking for more and more permissions with every update. I think it currently asks for more permissions than any other apps (maybe short of facebook ? I don't have that app) and can read your emails, text messages, who you're calling (the normal way), what apps are running, it can even draw over other applications ... all of which are completely unnecessary for skyping. And it keeps running invisible in the background (i.e. it doesn't appear in the "running app list") even when you turn it off (and I know it did because popup with new messages kept showing up).

It looks as if it is trying to know more about you than Google itself ...

Anyway, I really wish vanilla Android would allow find tuning of the permissions. If I remember correctly, this ability was there at some point for a short period of time in 2013 and then quickly removed (found it: http://www.osnews.com/story/27469/Google_removes_vital_privacy_feature_from_Android).
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