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Why apps ask for blanket permissions: have you ever tried using a cordova library? My own app has to ask for storage access just to get reliable sound output...

Why apps ask for blanket permissions: have you ever tried using a cordova library? My own app has to ask for storage access just to get reliable sound output... The deeper answer is that economic incentives don't encourage minimal permissions, even if there's no malicious intent.

sitkack 9y ago
And android and google is negligent for not allowing users to limit apps ability to use these apis. An app can request it, I'd like to say NO in a way that doesn't break the app. It asks for camera, fine it gets the same stock photo. It asks for location, it gets the Galapagos. It asks for microphone, it gets "Never Gonna Give You Up". Installing an app shouldn't be a binary (hah) choice.
- freeone3000 9y ago
  XPrivacy does.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- SyneRyder 9y ago
  But you can do that on Android now. On Android 7.0 (might even work on 6.0), go into Settings -> Apps, tap on an App and then tap on Permissions. You can then enable or disable individual permissions for that app (eg enable camera but disable microphone) Android apps now request permission at the time they need to use a feature, not on first install. They've basically adopted the same permissions model as Apple.
  - biafra 9y ago
    This is not what he described. Removing any of these permissions must be handled by the app. The app shouldn't even know I removed a permission. It should just get empty or fake data.
    - TomMarius 9y ago
      No, the app has no control over it. It displays a system dialog once it tries to use something.
      - sitkack 9y ago
        This is a denial of service attack against the user, at most should be an innocuous overlay that alerts the user when an application using a privacy reducing api when that user has it disallowed.
        TomMarius 9y ago
        I don't follow you. How can you alert the user that an app has requested something the user has declined when the user haven't made a decision yet?
        sitkack 9y ago
        The app should never know the user declined usage of an API. When any app uses a privacy reducing API, the user should be able to know when that occurs. Microphone, location, etc, should be a small overlay like maybe the battery indicator icon where they can know when the app would have violated their privacy.
        TomMarius 9y ago
        Yeah but the first time, the user has to decide whether he wants to allow or disallow. It's system dialog, the app can't interfere with it in any way. The icon you want is then shown in the notification area.

sitkack 9y ago

And android and google is negligent for not allowing users to limit apps ability to use these apis. An app can request it, I'd like to say NO in a way that doesn't break the app. It asks for camera, fine it gets the same stock photo. It asks for location, it gets the Galapagos. It asks for microphone, it gets "Never Gonna Give You Up". Installing an app shouldn't be a binary (hah) choice.

freeone3000 9y ago
XPrivacy does.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
SyneRyder 9y ago
But you can do that on Android now. On Android 7.0 (might even work on 6.0), go into Settings -> Apps, tap on an App and then tap on Permissions. You can then enable or disable individual permissions for that app (eg enable camera but disable microphone) Android apps now request permission at the time they need to use a feature, not on first install. They've basically adopted the same permissions model as Apple.
- biafra 9y ago
  This is not what he described. Removing any of these permissions must be handled by the app. The app shouldn't even know I removed a permission. It should just get empty or fake data.
  - TomMarius 9y ago
    No, the app has no control over it. It displays a system dialog once it tries to use something.
    - sitkack 9y ago
      This is a denial of service attack against the user, at most should be an innocuous overlay that alerts the user when an application using a privacy reducing api when that user has it disallowed.
      - TomMarius 9y ago
        I don't follow you. How can you alert the user that an app has requested something the user has declined when the user haven't made a decision yet?
        sitkack 9y ago
        The app should never know the user declined usage of an API. When any app uses a privacy reducing API, the user should be able to know when that occurs. Microphone, location, etc, should be a small overlay like maybe the battery indicator icon where they can know when the app would have violated their privacy.
        TomMarius 9y ago
        Yeah but the first time, the user has to decide whether he wants to allow or disallow. It's system dialog, the app can't interfere with it in any way. The icon you want is then shown in the notification area.