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Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

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Re: Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

#31

Post by SG- »

blfr wrote: post #29
SG- wrote: post #28

I don't even understand why Android would even let then happen. I can't even think of desktop apps that try to gain access to your history or bookmarks let alone a mobile app. One time bookmark import is a thing I suppose, but that's different than gaining permanent access once granted.

Desktop apps usually have access to everything on your drive or running under the same user.

Yes, obviously it's possible for them to gain access, I'm saying I don't know of any desktop apps that need access to any of that other than one time bookmark importing.

Re: Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

#32

Post by [deleted] »

gruez wrote: post #11
ludamad wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And it wouldn't do anything for if you had two phones, right? This is pretty annoying as someone who still wants to use Uber. Enough that I would consider a competitor.

Most people don't have 2 phones, and put lyft/uber on different ones. I'm presuming they're doing it so they can target lyft users with more promotions.

[deleted]

Re: Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

#33

Post by sghodas »

readams wrote: post #20

My copy of Uber just updated and it doesn't seem to be requesting any of these permissions. I'm on Marshmallow, and on the permissions page these permissions are not there. Version 3.98.2 of Uber. It's possible that these permissions are used in some obscure place in the app. With the new permissions system, you can progressively request permissions when you need them, so it's possible it will request these at some p…

Not 100% sure, but I think the access to contacts is so that you can split ride fares with other people.

Re: Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

#34

Post by derFunk »

Come on guys, where are the academics? Instead of overreacting please just reverse engineer, get the facts and check WHY the Uber app actually requests these permissions. I mean, it's still Java, so you got the source. I don't think they're using native code or do more obfuscation than the average app (disclaimer, haven't checked (yet)). Who's first?

Re: Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

#35

Post by Daishiman »

derFunk wrote: post #34

Come on guys, where are the academics? Instead of overreacting please just reverse engineer, get the facts and check WHY the Uber app actually requests these permissions. I mean, it's still Java, so you got the source. I don't think they're using native code or do more obfuscation than the average app (disclaimer, haven't checked (yet)). Who's first?

The burden of proof on the necessity of those permissions lies in the creators, not the consumers.

Re: Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

#36

Post by brad0 »

Anyone who knows android dev knows this is a non issue. The permission they request doesn't even do anything in lollipop and later. Sounds more like a bad dev than anything malicious.

What's the saying? Never attribute to malice with what can be explained by stupidity?

Re: Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

#37

Post by DINKDINK »

brad0 wrote: post #36

Anyone who knows android dev knows this is a non issue. The permission they request doesn't even do anything in lollipop and later. Sounds more like a bad dev than anything malicious. What's the saying? Never attribute to malice with what can be explained by stupidity?

>Never attribute to malice with what can be explained by stupidity

Hanlon's razor

Re: Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

#38

Post by jakub_g »

readams wrote: post #20

My copy of Uber just updated and it doesn't seem to be requesting any of these permissions. I'm on Marshmallow, and on the permissions page these permissions are not there. Version 3.98.2 of Uber. It's possible that these permissions are used in some obscure place in the app. With the new permissions system, you can progressively request permissions when you need them, so it's possible it will request these at some p…

When you scroll to the bottom on Uber's play store page it displays this for me: http://m.imgur.com/ndfjQWv

They request 'running apps' only from this particular subgroup. Notice the wording on the original screenshot: 'one or more of'.

TLDR they don't request browsing history, the Android permissions screen on update is confusing

Re: Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

#39

Post by qihqi »

derFunk wrote: post #34

Come on guys, where are the academics? Instead of overreacting please just reverse engineer, get the facts and check WHY the Uber app actually requests these permissions. I mean, it's still Java, so you got the source. I don't think they're using native code or do more obfuscation than the average app (disclaimer, haven't checked (yet)). Who's first?

if all they do is send the data home, you won't know what they use it for。。

Re: Uber wants access to browsing history, bookmarks, and running apps

#40

Post by derFunk »

Daishiman wrote: post #35
derFunk wrote: post #34

Come on guys, where are the academics? Instead of overreacting please just reverse engineer, get the facts and check WHY the Uber app actually requests these permissions. I mean, it's still Java, so you got the source. I don't think they're using native code or do more obfuscation than the average app (disclaimer, haven't checked (yet)). Who's first?

The burden of proof on the necessity of those permissions lies in the creators, not the consumers.

I agree. Yet this is Hackernews, and if the creators don't do it we can.
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