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I’m not following the privacy issue: The UI shown in the screenshot requires explicit opt-in to which app is launched, so the user has consented to that app r

I’m not following the privacy issue: The UI shown in the screenshot requires explicit opt-in to which app is launched, so the user has consented to that app receiving the image that is taken? I’m also not immediately seeing a non-privacy reason to make this change either...

commoner 6y ago
The screenshot is labeled "Camera picker on Android 10." Android 11 will remove the camera picker.
- sparky_z 6y ago
  Yes, and frogblast is saying that they don't see a privacy issue in the camera picker for Android 10 that needs to be mitigated by removing it in Android 11.
  - commoner 6y ago
    Thanks, I misunderstood. This change does not improve privacy, and may even reduce privacy by preventing the user from switching to a free and open source camera app, assuming that the stock camera app is proprietary.
yc12340 6y ago
There is no privacy issue. Google wants exclusive right to spy on their users, plain and simple. They are not even trying to be subtle anymore.
rgoulter 6y ago
"Some users were tricked into setting a malicious camera app as the default and then using it to capture things that should have remained private" A Google search for "malicious camera apps" leads to this from January https://cybernews.com/security/popular-camera-apps-steal-data-infect-malware/" https://cybernews.com/security/popular-camera-apps-steal-dat... Copy-paste of its summary of the top 30 "beauty camera" apps: > More than half (16) of these apps are based in Hong Kong or China > One app doesn’t ask for permission to use your camera, but turns the camera on anyways – without any permission > Three seemingly separate developers seem to be run by the same group, and may be connected to apps previously found to contain a widely-dispersed Trojan > The top-ranked app developer Meitu, with more than 300 million installs, had apps identified as malware, violating Google’s ad policies, or secretly collecting data > One app developer was found to install malware through its software > One app was accused of sending users pornographic content, redirecting them to phishing sites, or collecting their pictures > These apps are requesting up to 7 dangerous permissions, 5 on average, most of which are unnecessary for the app to function > Unnecessary permissions include recording audio, using GPS, and seeing users’ phone statuses > While only a few permissions are required for the app function, one app includes a whopping 40 total permissions
- accounn 6y ago
  Surveillance capitalism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIXhnWUmMvw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIXhnWUmMvw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism
- accounn 6y ago
  Surveillance capitalism
- surcap 6y ago
  Surveillance capitalism
londons_explore 6y ago
I think the 'security' issue is: * The default camera app always takes a photo from the front or back camera * Custom apps might return a photo from a usb camera, a remote camera, a file or a webpage. Exif data could be faked too. * The 'security issue' is therefore that apps that ask the user to take a photo to prove something (for example, taking a photo of your passport to prove who you are, taking a photo of a QR code in a shop, etc) cannot have the assurance they want that the photo was just taken. Discuss!
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- happymellon 6y ago
  Not an Android developer, but they list Image Capture and Image Capture secure. Wouldn't it make sense for something like Image Capture Secure to be used by those sorts of apps, and for that to use the optionless device default camera rather than breaking all apps?
  - londons_explore 6y ago
    I believe "secure" here refers to the camera that is allowed to open even when the phone is locked. It can take pictures, but shouldn't leak user data (eg. Allow viewing old pictures, or browsing contacts in a 'share' dialog, or have any links to webpages which would then allow browsing the internet without unlocking the phone)

commoner 6y ago

The screenshot is labeled "Camera picker on Android 10." Android 11 will remove the camera picker.

sparky_z 6y ago
Yes, and frogblast is saying that they don't see a privacy issue in the camera picker for Android 10 that needs to be mitigated by removing it in Android 11.
- commoner 6y ago
  Thanks, I misunderstood. This change does not improve privacy, and may even reduce privacy by preventing the user from switching to a free and open source camera app, assuming that the stock camera app is proprietary.

yc12340 6y ago

There is no privacy issue. Google wants exclusive right to spy on their users, plain and simple. They are not even trying to be subtle anymore.

rgoulter 6y ago

"Some users were tricked into setting a malicious camera app as the default and then using it to capture things that should have remained private" A Google search for "malicious camera apps" leads to this from January https://cybernews.com/security/popular-camera-apps-steal-data-infect-malware/" https://cybernews.com/security/popular-camera-apps-steal-dat... Copy-paste of its summary of the top 30 "beauty camera" apps: > More than half (16) of these apps are based in Hong Kong or China > One app doesn’t ask for permission to use your camera, but turns the camera on anyways – without any permission > Three seemingly separate developers seem to be run by the same group, and may be connected to apps previously found to contain a widely-dispersed Trojan > The top-ranked app developer Meitu, with more than 300 million installs, had apps identified as malware, violating Google’s ad policies, or secretly collecting data > One app developer was found to install malware through its software > One app was accused of sending users pornographic content, redirecting them to phishing sites, or collecting their pictures > These apps are requesting up to 7 dangerous permissions, 5 on average, most of which are unnecessary for the app to function > Unnecessary permissions include recording audio, using GPS, and seeing users’ phone statuses > While only a few permissions are required for the app function, one app includes a whopping 40 total permissions

accounn 6y ago
Surveillance capitalism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIXhnWUmMvw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIXhnWUmMvw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism
accounn 6y ago
Surveillance capitalism
surcap 6y ago
Surveillance capitalism

londons_explore 6y ago

I think the 'security' issue is: * The default camera app always takes a photo from the front or back camera * Custom apps might return a photo from a usb camera, a remote camera, a file or a webpage. Exif data could be faked too. * The 'security issue' is therefore that apps that ask the user to take a photo to prove something (for example, taking a photo of your passport to prove who you are, taking a photo of a QR code in a shop, etc) cannot have the assurance they want that the photo was just taken. Discuss!

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
happymellon 6y ago
Not an Android developer, but they list Image Capture and Image Capture secure. Wouldn't it make sense for something like Image Capture Secure to be used by those sorts of apps, and for that to use the optionless device default camera rather than breaking all apps?
- londons_explore 6y ago
  I believe "secure" here refers to the camera that is allowed to open even when the phone is locked. It can take pictures, but shouldn't leak user data (eg. Allow viewing old pictures, or browsing contacts in a 'share' dialog, or have any links to webpages which would then allow browsing the internet without unlocking the phone)