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Privacy

K

Kevin1988

Lurker
Hi everybody,

I am thinking about buying a samsung galaxy s2, but I do have a question about the privacy of android itself. On the phone multiple apps are pre-installed such as accuweather, google talk etc... But when I look in the android market I see a couple of these pre-installed apps with their approvals like being able to check my textmessages, sending textmessages, viewing my contactlist, etc....
When I see this I think....what is this!?!?!?! Why are these apps on my phone when they are allowed to do this? Are this built-in apps really able to do all of this or do I have to approve this when I would like to use them?
I am also wondering why a lot of apps on android market are able to do all of this. Are there any ways to stop this.
I also heard that google changed their privacy statements wich isn't really a good thing for android users. Does this mean they can check my browserhistory, textmessages, etc...?

I would really like to have some privacy. Is android (google) worse than apple or microsoft? Or is it just as bad?
 
It depends on apps if it needs those functions. For example, an SMS app like Go SMS Pro has more functions than the basic SMS app (pop ups, custom ringtones per contact etc), but of course, as an SMS app, it needs to be able to read your SMS and your contact lists to function. How is it supposed to determine which contact sent you an SMS to give it a custom ringtone? How is it supposed to show you your SMS in its themes if it can't read them?

Basically, the difference is that on Android, they tell you what permissions you are giving the app before you install it. On others they don't. Facebook for Android (which has access to contact data) has the same permissions on Facebook for iPhone (it also has access to contact data), difference is, on Android it tells you this before you install it.
 
Thanks for the reply. Too bad that every os has a different approuch on the permissions subject. I understand that some apps need to acces some delicate info on my phone, but a weather app or facebook that needs to acces my textmessages? Navigation that can use my camera, textmessage, call phonenumbers or checking my contactlist. Sounds fishy to me....
It is a bit frustrating because I like to have a good navigation system on my phone with offline maps, but when I look at the permissions of every navigation app (navfree sounds ok with the permissions, but is it any good..., and maybe copilot is ok) I am not interested anymore.

How is it on the build in apps? I suppose that they don't need permissions anymore because they are already on the phone.
 
The weather can send you text message alerts, I assume Facebook can send you messages as well.
The navigation app can read addresses in your contacts.

Those things can't happen without access.
 
If you say it like that, then it doesn't sound that fishy. Thanks for the reply. The only thing that is strange is that they are able to read textmessages in my phone. I don't see the point in that. Only when it is a textmessage app, then it is necessary.
 
Yes, Facebook has access to SMS service because you can update your Facebook status via SMS. Facebook also has an option to send you notifications through SMS, and you can open a link from the SMS received to the Facebook app.
 
I don't think read your sms is literal, I think it just means access to the app.
The execption would be if the app can perform a certain function based on a filter in an sms.
 
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