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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

#111

Post by seanmcdirmid »

onewaystreet wrote: post #90
codedokode wrote: post #89

So this is information about Uber app that I found in some blog: ------- Android Uber app code has many suspicious places. For example, it contains a namespace "com.baidu.frontia" and classes there include such code as: localObject = ((TelephonyManager)localObject).getSubscriberId(); // gets IMSI ((TelephonyManager)localObject2).getDeviceId(); // gets IMEI localObject1 = ((WifiInfo)localObject1).getMacAddress(); publ…

That code is from the Baidu SDK which Uber integrates into its app for Chinese users.

Right, Uber works in China as well...same app, completely different infrastructure. If you come to China with your uber app, it will still work (provided you have wifi or data).

Uber also does UnionPay as a payment option...again, same app.

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

#112

Post by matwood »

curt15 wrote: post #103
ross-life wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can someone shed light on this? Whoever is in charge of the permission system is absolutely nuts. Or it's designed by the committee from hell. Those are the only reasons I can think of. No one sane would create this. They actually wanted to "simplify" the permissions system and let the user have more control/understanding. You could argue they've done the first... at the expense of everything else. Half of it seems…

>Yes sure, because I granted an application "Coarse location data", just go ahead and automatically (WTF?) give it "Fine location data" permissions too, because hey, it's all just "location data" right? Not like I might have wanted to give it coarse and not fine on purpose... Does iOS have separate permissions for the different location resolutions or distinguish reading contacts from writing contacts?

> Does iOS have separate permissions for the different location resolutions

No, and why should it? I'm a technical user and I'm not even sure what the different resolutions are. What is important is to know when an application is asking for location data. iOS permissions for location are a) Never b) Always c) While using. Those make complete sense to even normal users.

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

#113

Post by mortenjorck »

nitrogen wrote: post #100
jonathankoren wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a logical argument. It's more of a heuristic of human behavior, which tends to be right. Only rarely is there someone sitting behind a large desk making tent hands while laughing maniacally. EDIT: On second thought, if it is a logical argument, it's a specific case of Occam's Razor. Which is more likely? Someone made a mistake, or there is a grand conspiracy?

Here's another fallacy: the fallacy of the excluded middle or the false dichotomy. There are many alternatives on the spectrum between "mistake" and "grand conspiracy".

Exactly. These include such situations as:

- a mistake where misaligned incentives are against fixing it

- a questionable decision exacerbated by a mistake

- malice on the part of an external actor plus internal incompetence (essentially all data breaches)

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

#114

Post by teamfrizz »

levemi wrote: post #99
wosos wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Still suspicious nontheless

I think you're on to something, for example the Uber app probably also uses the `true` constant in places, which could be used by `if` comparisons, and Uber could actually be using `if` comparisons all over the place. Who knows what sort of suspicious `if` comparisons Uber's app might be making? We don't know, and until we do we should probably not use this app.

Not sure if this is sarcasm or just strange.

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

#115

Post by jamiequint »

colordrops wrote: post #105
StavrosK wrote: post #42

From a reddit comment: > The permissions you see on the install screen are actually triggered by various permissions in the permission group. I've checked Ubers (there's a button on the web play store and you can see it in the manifest), and the only one from the Device and App History group they actually use is "GET_TASKS", or get a list of recently opened apps. > Furthermore, on Lollipop this permission doesn't eve…

This sounds like a prepared PR statement to manipulate opinion and downplay the new permissions.

I think you got lost looking for /r/conspiracy

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

#116

Post by blackoil »

JupiterMoon wrote: post #65
JeremyBanks wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what scenario would a person be using one phone for Lyft and one for Uber? I use two phones, but I have both apps on both.

Drivers.

Drivers have a different app, this is the consumer app.

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

#117

Post by greggman »

matwood wrote: post #112
curt15 wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Yes sure, because I granted an application "Coarse location data", just go ahead and automatically (WTF?) give it "Fine location data" permissions too, because hey, it's all just "location data" right? Not like I might have wanted to give it coarse and not fine on purpose... Does iOS have separate permissions for the different location resolutions or distinguish reading contacts from writing contacts?

> Does iOS have separate permissions for the different location resolutions No, and why should it? I'm a technical user and I'm not even sure what the different resolutions are. What is important is to know when an application is asking for location data. iOS permissions for location are a) Never b) Always c) While using. Those make complete sense to even normal users.

Personally I wish iOS did have more fine grained permissions. I agree with you on location but I'd really like

1) Has permission to read your contacts 2) You can access an OS level contact screen to choose a contact but the app can't read the list of all contacts 3) Has permission to write to contacts (remember when facebook changed contact to have a facebook email address? Would prefer no permission)

Photos. Currently it's all or nothing. I'd prefer

1) can write new photos 2) can read old photos

Taking a photos right now is "can access camera" where as I'd prefer no camera access for most non-camera apps (facebook) and just a way to launch a system camera. I don't want apps to have the ability to keep the camera/mic on without my knowledge but "can access camera" = can use constantly without my knowledge while app is running.

Yes I know I can get around some this by doing it manually (don't give app camera permission, swap to built in phone, take picture, do give permission see 100% of my photos, hope they aren't uploading my private photos, choose photo I just took).

It's not enough IMO especially in this age of the revealtion of all the apps that spy

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

#118

Post by profeta »

tadfisher wrote: post #77
dlubarov wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This page has more detail on Android's permissions model: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/security/permissio... I don't really understand the point of having fine-grained permissions (like READ_CONTACTS), when the user only sees broader permission groups. Can someone shed light on this?

It wasn't always this way. The individual permissions used to be displayed to the user directly; newer releases of the Play Store have "streamlined" this permissions prompt so that users see general permissions "groups", and some permissions (such as INTERNET) are considered "not dangerous", requiring a click on the "See all permissions" button to view everything the app requests. I imagine it's because Google recogn…

> system is broken and UI is confusing, protect nothing from user even if working right.

> leave system broken but hide UI so nobody cares.

hopefully, it is just incompetence, not evil.

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

#119

Post by profeta »

matwood wrote: post #112
curt15 wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Yes sure, because I granted an application "Coarse location data", just go ahead and automatically (WTF?) give it "Fine location data" permissions too, because hey, it's all just "location data" right? Not like I might have wanted to give it coarse and not fine on purpose... Does iOS have separate permissions for the different location resolutions or distinguish reading contacts from writing contacts?

> Does iOS have separate permissions for the different location resolutions No, and why should it? I'm a technical user and I'm not even sure what the different resolutions are. What is important is to know when an application is asking for location data. iOS permissions for location are a) Never b) Always c) While using. Those make complete sense to even normal users.

i am a technical user and i don't drive. so why even have roads?
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