6 ms·

Conspicuously absent: - Read external storage - Internet

vardump 11y ago
Can't agree more. It always bothers me all apps can access my external storage by default. But I have to use Android, because it's the most open established mobile ecosystem. Only system that supports the mobile web browser I find tolerable to use for instance (hint - it's not the default browser or Chrome). Only system that allows developers to map executable pages. Only system that allows me to customize user experience as I see fit, and not offer one size fits all. And so on.
Aldo_MX 11y ago
Application YourTypicalMobileApplication is asking for access to the Internet to display advertisements powered by Google AdMob. [ D̶E̶N̶Y̶ ] [ ALLOW ] (Do you think we would give you the option to easily cut our income?)
- socceroos 11y ago
  Then please, oh please separate it out. Internet and Advertising. Shouldn't be hard.
  - Manishearth 11y ago
    > Shouldn't be hard. How can the OS tell if an HTTP request is for the Internet or for Ads? It can't. Though Google could special-case AdMob effectively owning the ad scenario for apps which don't use the internet for anything else.
    - socceroos 11y ago
      That's what I meant. It covers a good ~95% of all ads. Have any extras register for security exemption. Makes sense to me - in the context of not screwing the user over constantly.
digi_owl 11y ago
I guess they consider external storage to be already handled by the Storage Access Framework. As for Internet, they leave that out of their "improved" Play store permissions as well (and the M groupings seems like a carbon copy).
- wongarsu 11y ago
  >As for Internet, they leave that out of their "improved" Play store permissions as well (and the M groupings seems like a carbon copy). Why would they do that? On it's own "Internet" may not seem to be an important category, but I am willing to give apps many more permissions if I know that they can't phone home. For tools, the Internet permission is often the deciding factor for me.
  - vardump 11y ago
    A few years ago mobile virtualization was hyped a lot. What came of it? I'd love to be able to run multiple OS instances on same phone. Use one for private communication and others for fun and games (not that I play games, but the point).
    - mcintyre1994 11y ago
      Nowhere near the same but android does support multiple accounts - might be worth looking into whether they're sandboxed enough to stop apps looking beyond the account they're installed on.
    - arthurfm 11y ago
      There isn't any need for the OS to be virtualized now that Android supports dual-personas (i.e. Android for Work). [1] [1] http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/a-review-of-android-for-work-dual-persona-support-comes-to-android/ http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/a-revi...
  - digi_owl 11y ago
    Everyone with a pulse has asked themselves that already, and come up blank. All we have are potential conspiracy theories revolving around ad revenue for both Google and app devs.
christop 11y ago
"When the user installs or updates the app, the system grants the app all permissions that the app requests that fall under PROTECTION_NORMAL. For example, alarm clock and internet permissions fall under PROTECTION_NORMAL, so they are automatically granted at install time." Based on the Android 5.1 source, there are a lot of permissions in the "normal" group, which will apparently now be accepted automatically at install time: $ curl -sL http://git.io/vklnX | grep -B2 'protectionLevel="normal"' | grep name | cut -d'"' -f2 | sort android.permission.ACCESS_LOCATION_EXTRA_COMMANDS android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE android.permission.ACCESS_WIMAX_STATE android.permission.BROADCAST_STICKY android.permission.CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE android.permission.EXPAND_STATUS_BAR android.permission.FLASHLIGHT android.permission.GET_ACCOUNTS android.permission.GET_PACKAGE_SIZE android.permission.GET_TASKS android.permission.KILL_BACKGROUND_PROCESSES android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS android.permission.PERSISTENT_ACTIVITY android.permission.READ_SYNC_SETTINGS android.permission.READ_SYNC_STATS android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED android.permission.REORDER_TASKS android.permission.RESTART_PACKAGES android.permission.SET_TIME_ZONE android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER_HINTS android.permission.TRANSMIT_IR android.permission.VIBRATE android.permission.WAKE_LOCK android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS android.permission.WRITE_SYNC_SETTINGS android.permission.WRITE_USER_DICTIONARY Though note that the INTERNET permission is currently in the "dangerous" permission group, so I guess some changes have been made for Android M.
mappu 11y ago
I recommend AFWall+ for preventing the latter.

Can't agree more. It always bothers me all apps can access my external storage by default. But I have to use Android, because it's the most open established mobile ecosystem. Only system that supports the mobile web browser I find tolerable to use for instance (hint - it's not the default browser or Chrome). Only system that allows developers to map executable pages. Only system that allows me to customize user experience as I see fit, and not offer one size fits all. And so on.

Aldo_MX 11y ago

Application YourTypicalMobileApplication is asking for access to the Internet to display advertisements powered by Google AdMob. [ D̶E̶N̶Y̶ ] [ ALLOW ] (Do you think we would give you the option to easily cut our income?)

socceroos 11y ago
Then please, oh please separate it out. Internet and Advertising. Shouldn't be hard.
- Manishearth 11y ago
  > Shouldn't be hard. How can the OS tell if an HTTP request is for the Internet or for Ads? It can't. Though Google could special-case AdMob effectively owning the ad scenario for apps which don't use the internet for anything else.
  - socceroos 11y ago
    That's what I meant. It covers a good ~95% of all ads. Have any extras register for security exemption. Makes sense to me - in the context of not screwing the user over constantly.

digi_owl 11y ago

I guess they consider external storage to be already handled by the Storage Access Framework. As for Internet, they leave that out of their "improved" Play store permissions as well (and the M groupings seems like a carbon copy).

wongarsu 11y ago
>As for Internet, they leave that out of their "improved" Play store permissions as well (and the M groupings seems like a carbon copy). Why would they do that? On it's own "Internet" may not seem to be an important category, but I am willing to give apps many more permissions if I know that they can't phone home. For tools, the Internet permission is often the deciding factor for me.
- vardump 11y ago
  A few years ago mobile virtualization was hyped a lot. What came of it? I'd love to be able to run multiple OS instances on same phone. Use one for private communication and others for fun and games (not that I play games, but the point).
  - mcintyre1994 11y ago
    Nowhere near the same but android does support multiple accounts - might be worth looking into whether they're sandboxed enough to stop apps looking beyond the account they're installed on.
  - arthurfm 11y ago
    There isn't any need for the OS to be virtualized now that Android supports dual-personas (i.e. Android for Work). [1] [1] http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/a-review-of-android-for-work-dual-persona-support-comes-to-android/ http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/a-revi...
- digi_owl 11y ago
  Everyone with a pulse has asked themselves that already, and come up blank. All we have are potential conspiracy theories revolving around ad revenue for both Google and app devs.

christop 11y ago

"When the user installs or updates the app, the system grants the app all permissions that the app requests that fall under PROTECTION_NORMAL. For example, alarm clock and internet permissions fall under PROTECTION_NORMAL, so they are automatically granted at install time." Based on the Android 5.1 source, there are a lot of permissions in the "normal" group, which will apparently now be accepted automatically at install time: $ curl -sL http://git.io/vklnX | grep -B2 'protectionLevel="normal"' | grep name | cut -d'"' -f2 | sort android.permission.ACCESS_LOCATION_EXTRA_COMMANDS android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE android.permission.ACCESS_WIMAX_STATE android.permission.BROADCAST_STICKY android.permission.CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE android.permission.EXPAND_STATUS_BAR android.permission.FLASHLIGHT android.permission.GET_ACCOUNTS android.permission.GET_PACKAGE_SIZE android.permission.GET_TASKS android.permission.KILL_BACKGROUND_PROCESSES android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS android.permission.PERSISTENT_ACTIVITY android.permission.READ_SYNC_SETTINGS android.permission.READ_SYNC_STATS android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED android.permission.REORDER_TASKS android.permission.RESTART_PACKAGES android.permission.SET_TIME_ZONE android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER_HINTS android.permission.TRANSMIT_IR android.permission.VIBRATE android.permission.WAKE_LOCK android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS android.permission.WRITE_SYNC_SETTINGS android.permission.WRITE_USER_DICTIONARY Though note that the INTERNET permission is currently in the "dangerous" permission group, so I guess some changes have been made for Android M.

mappu 11y ago

I recommend AFWall+ for preventing the latter.