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The app stores typically tell you what permissions an app requires, including location. It would seem to me to be more efficient to programmatically analyze th

by dotBen 5y ago

The app stores typically tell you what permissions an app requires, including location. It would seem to me to be more efficient to programmatically analyze the permissions listed of the top 10,000 apps (or more) than have readers send in random screenshots.

anothermoron 5y ago
I don't mind app that use my location for stuff which requires it, what this project is meant to do is find who SELLS the information.
burkaman 5y ago
> This will help us understand how these prompts are worded and could help us identify apps that are using your location in ways the app developer does not disclose. They are specifically interested in how the location request is worded for each app, and maybe at what point during usage it asks. I think on Android the prompt is always the same, but apparently on iPhones they can add a short explanation.
alufers 5y ago
You would get a lot of false positives, meaning apps that legitimately need the location. For example navigation apps or unfortunately apps on Android which use Bluetooth. This really annoys me, because the dialog looks the same for apps that want to use GPS data and apps that use Bluetooth, and there is no way to grant just Bluetooth permissions.
- soco 5y ago
  And what do we do with apps which have a legitimate reason to use your location, then proceed to sale your location history to third parties? No confirmation dialog can save us from that.
- esc861 5y ago
  Yes, and the same goes for information about the WiFi network. Lots of apps for IoT devices require this information to set up products, but the OS presents this as location tracking.
  - ascar 5y ago
    Well, that's because scanning for WiFi networks and Bluetooth devices nearby effectively reveals your location. It might still make sense to split these permissions, but it should be clear that you're giving up your location.
- meibo 5y ago
  This is fixed in Android 12, BLE and Location are properly disconnected now. The permission dialogue reads “determine relative position of nearby devices” if you request BLE access. You can also declare that your app “never needs physical location”, which excludes BLE beacons that could be used for that purpose from the data the app receives. https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/connectivity/bluetooth/permissions https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/connectivity/blue...
  - lopis 5y ago
    The problem, and one of the reason those permissions were together, is that BLE by itself is enough to get your coarse location, like WiFi is. If you are offline but can detect the bluetooth device A and B, and another internet device can see the devices A and C, then it's ease to conclude that you, the internet device, as well as the devices A, B and C are all in vicinity of each other. It's good that the precise location permissions are separate from Bluetooth permissions, but people need to understand this.
SilasX 5y ago
Yeah but that’s not enough, I thought? Wasn’t there that scandal where Uber figured out your location anyway from the WiFi access points you were near?

by dotBen 5y ago

anothermoron 5y ago

I don't mind app that use my location for stuff which requires it, what this project is meant to do is find who SELLS the information.

burkaman 5y ago

> This will help us understand how these prompts are worded and could help us identify apps that are using your location in ways the app developer does not disclose. They are specifically interested in how the location request is worded for each app, and maybe at what point during usage it asks. I think on Android the prompt is always the same, but apparently on iPhones they can add a short explanation.

alufers 5y ago

You would get a lot of false positives, meaning apps that legitimately need the location. For example navigation apps or unfortunately apps on Android which use Bluetooth. This really annoys me, because the dialog looks the same for apps that want to use GPS data and apps that use Bluetooth, and there is no way to grant just Bluetooth permissions.

soco 5y ago
And what do we do with apps which have a legitimate reason to use your location, then proceed to sale your location history to third parties? No confirmation dialog can save us from that.
esc861 5y ago
Yes, and the same goes for information about the WiFi network. Lots of apps for IoT devices require this information to set up products, but the OS presents this as location tracking.
- ascar 5y ago
  Well, that's because scanning for WiFi networks and Bluetooth devices nearby effectively reveals your location. It might still make sense to split these permissions, but it should be clear that you're giving up your location.
meibo 5y ago
This is fixed in Android 12, BLE and Location are properly disconnected now. The permission dialogue reads “determine relative position of nearby devices” if you request BLE access. You can also declare that your app “never needs physical location”, which excludes BLE beacons that could be used for that purpose from the data the app receives. https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/connectivity/bluetooth/permissions https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/connectivity/blue...
- lopis 5y ago
  The problem, and one of the reason those permissions were together, is that BLE by itself is enough to get your coarse location, like WiFi is. If you are offline but can detect the bluetooth device A and B, and another internet device can see the devices A and C, then it's ease to conclude that you, the internet device, as well as the devices A, B and C are all in vicinity of each other. It's good that the precise location permissions are separate from Bluetooth permissions, but people need to understand this.

SilasX 5y ago

Yeah but that’s not enough, I thought? Wasn’t there that scandal where Uber figured out your location anyway from the WiFi access points you were near?