"send email to guests without owners' knowledge"?

[ralf23446]

Hi,
I got a ZTE AWE (4.1 jelly bean) a few weeks ago. My first true smart phone but I didn't activated it yet.

When I check 'App info' for some apps like the Google app, it says:
PERMISSIONS:
This app can access the following on your phone:
Your Personal Information: add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owners' knowledge, read calendar events plus confidential information, read your contacts, read your own contact card, read your web bookmarks and history.

And then a bunch of other things that sort to make sense to me (like when an apps say 'read your confidential information', I
assume that is as me and my privacy isn't breached).

What does "send email to guests without owners' knowledge" mean?

Is there anything else I might want to know that my phone's doing? Like if I take pictures and by default they're uploaded to some photo sharing site or something. Or like Is my screen camera always on when I make a call, etc? Stuff like that that they might think is doing users a favor by setting as default, but someone who values their privacy like me wouldn't want.

Thanks.

 

[Thom]

Welcome to Android Forums. I moved your thread to the forum dedicated to your phone. Moved back by request. (It was lonely in the dedicated forum.)

... Thom

 

[Matty18]

I'd always check the permissions an app has, and always read the description in the play store to see what it does. Most reputable developers will explain why their app needs certain permissions, if it seems unusual. Ultimately, if an app requires certain permissions and you're not happy with it, don't install it.

You may find this thread helpful: http://androidforums.com/android-ap...explained-security-tips-avoiding-malware.html

 

[ralf23446]

someone elsewhere said: "That gives an app permission to send emails in the background without specifically requiring you to OK each one.

It's fairly common to set up an app that sends an email alert when a given condition is met - your battery is about to die, a secondary email account received a message, stuff like that. The whole point is to automate processes in the background, but you the user are still in control of defining the terms."

It's the wording of it that had me confused as if the phone was going to do things I didn't want it to. They should have made it says something like: Can be configured to automatically send emails.