"Choosing between privacy and security on Android" - Techzine

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an organization dedicated to improving the digital rights of users, has published an article about the privacy of Android users. The EFF warns that Android users should distinguish between the safety of the device or safeguard their privacy.

a choice in the initial report, the App Ops function Android 4.3 and higher highlighted and praised. This feature is in Android 4.4.2 but again disappeared from the scene, what is reason for a follow-up article. Ops app gives users for each application in detail the possibility of limiting.

access to system functions

A Google spokesman indicated that App Ops never have to sit in Android and that the function was added by mistake . The function would do more harm than good for some applications, it said the spokesman.

Peter Eckersley of the EFF does not believe that statement and finds it “suspicious” that Google function removed to make improvements. instead of “The fact that users can no application permissions on and off is a gaping hole in the security of Android. Embarrassing enough, Apple iOS solved this problem years ago.”

Android applications request access to system functions in order to function properly. Think of the GPS module, contacts, camera or microphone. It happens frequently that applications for permissions strange questions that seemingly have nothing to do with the proper functioning of the application. What has been done with the data obtained is often unclear.

Android users can only choose to grant all permissions or not to install. A particular application It is therefore choose between privacy and security, says the EFF. Meanwhile, Google is called to bring in the next release of Android, so users of both aspects to be insured again. Returned App Ops