App update wants "Authentication credentials"

[rwgreene999]

A Kindle update now request permission to "Act as an account authentication", "Manage the account list", "Use the authentication credentials of an account". Isn't this dangerous? Isn't this giving Kindle to ability to take over my phone, place calls, order products, send messages, call my friends with spam?

I dont see why they need this. This is not the only application where recent updates seem to exceed necessary privileges. Amazon Mobil wants these same privileges. "Astro account manager" and "Facebook" wants to be an account authenticator also. CNN applications wants to be allowed to make phone calls from my phone.

What's going on with this? Is there an add-in where I can install the applications but block them from accessing security things?

 

[UncleMike]

The permissions you're talking about with regard to the Kindle app are probably necessary because the Kindle app is now using Android's built in account management and storage functionality. This is (hopefully) more secure than storing your login credentials in the app. In my experience, apps that use the "use the authentication credentials of an account" still have to ask for (and you have to grant) permission to use specific credentials at run time. I don't think this is anything to worry about.

Most of the time, required permissions are necessary for an app to perform its stated functions. It's when the permissions and the stated functionality don't match up that you should look deeper. For instance, my son wanted to install a game, but it required permission to send SMS. For me that raised a red flag, and I told him not to install it.