Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
androidcentral.com
Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
1–10 of 31 posts
Re: Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
#2i wish i could refuse to give android apps certain permissions yet still install them. i don't want angry birds to ever be able to charge me money and certainly not read all my SMS messages. i simply won't upgrade.
for other apps, i just have to not install them; it doesn't seem like i can give feedback to app developers about this.
Re: Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
#3i wish i could refuse to give android apps certain permissions yet still install them. i don't want angry birds to ever be able to charge me money and certainly not read all my SMS messages. i simply won't upgrade. for other apps, i just have to not install them; it doesn't seem like i can give feedback to app developers about this.
Unfortunately this change would require changes to the platform that would break all current applications.
I find it funny, Android informs you as to what applications can access and people are more leary, even when the developer is up front about it. On other platforms, the user never has a chance to even be skeptical at all.
Re: Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
#4This sounds similar to something on iOS 4.2. If you use any part of the asset library framework, which includes something as benign as building a photo chooser for the media library, the device prompts the user to allow access to location services because the photos might have GPS information in them. There is no way to prevent it because the permissions are not fine-grained enough. In the case of the article, the problem could be solved on the OS with the separation of SMS access and operator billing as permissions.
Re: Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
#5I find it interesting that Rovio is choosing to build its own payment system rather than use the options that Google is integrating into the Android platform.
I don't have a problem with granting these permissions to an app that I use that comes from a well known, trusted developer. Also, the features that require the permissions aren't used unless you actually make the decision to use them. So while the developers really should make sure they educate their users before taking their money, in the end it falls on the users to make the decision to buy.
Re: Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
#6i wish i could refuse to give android apps certain permissions yet still install them. i don't want angry birds to ever be able to charge me money and certainly not read all my SMS messages. i simply won't upgrade. for other apps, i just have to not install them; it doesn't seem like i can give feedback to app developers about this.
Unfortunately this change would require changes to the platform that would break all current applications. I find it funny, Android informs you as to what applications can access and people are more leary, even when the developer is up front about it. On other platforms, the user never has a chance to even be skeptical at all.
In defense of other platforms, apps can't read your text messages, email, etc. Sure, there are ways to do it using private APIs, etc, but if you get caught, you get removed. Android is wide open, and knowing that it's trivial for someone to write an app which reads my email/SMS is scary.
That said, the iOS SDK certainly lets a developer read my address book without informing me. You'd think Apple would put something up, like a permissions screen or at least something to let me know this is happening.
Re: Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
#7Now of course people seem to trust Rovio. But if another app asked me for permission to use SMS, could it surreptitiously engage SMS billing where carriers support it?
Re: Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
#8i wish i could refuse to give android apps certain permissions yet still install them. i don't want angry birds to ever be able to charge me money and certainly not read all my SMS messages. i simply won't upgrade. for other apps, i just have to not install them; it doesn't seem like i can give feedback to app developers about this.
Unfortunately this change would require changes to the platform that would break all current applications. I find it funny, Android informs you as to what applications can access and people are more leary, even when the developer is up front about it. On other platforms, the user never has a chance to even be skeptical at all.
Not really. Android is sometimes used on tablets that can't send SMSs, or you could be out of range or even in airplane mode.
Just return the same error code you would if there was a physical problem and continue.
Re: Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unfortunately this change would require changes to the platform that would break all current applications. I find it funny, Android informs you as to what applications can access and people are more leary, even when the developer is up front about it. On other platforms, the user never has a chance to even be skeptical at all.
Not really. Android is sometimes used on tablets that can't send SMSs, or you could be out of range or even in airplane mode. Just return the same error code you would if there was a physical problem and continue.
Um no... the application would not just receive the same error code unless Google specifically set it up just for that permission, and that strategy wouldn't work for any other permissions. Think about it, the manifest specifies that the application will have access to whatever it asks for... the application would just crash when the VM/kernel denies it access to other applications data or some system permission because the user is given the ability to override it. Not having an active connection to receive an SMS is a completely unrelated and irrelevant point.
I find it really super awesome that this is downvoted. Yes, an application that expects a permission to be available, randomly not being able to access is sure to not cause problems. Not just -1 too, we really have to ram this post into the ground, no reply, just watched my karma drop like 10 points. I expected better. Keep it coming guys, teach me my lesson without actually replying!
Re: Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission
#10Now of course people seem to trust Rovio. But if another app asked me for permission to use SMS, could it surreptitiously engage SMS billing where carriers support it?
Sure, there's no fundamental difference between a "premium" SMS and normal one. Except maybe the shorter phone number.