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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

#121

Post by wfunction »

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…

Do you happen to know in which version of the Play Store this change was made?

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

#123

Post by newjersey »

profeta wrote: post #118
tadfisher wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

When it comes to Uber, I think the default is to assume malice unless we can prove it is incompetence.

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

#124

Post by rhizome »

jagger27 wrote: post #57
matt_wulfeck wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Either that's not entirely truthful, or the app permission system is totally broken... Need to find out when you last opened the app? "Get running apps"...?

I don't even understand why they need local access to figure this out. Poll the web API for last_login and be done with it. Surely they're already tracking and storing this kind of data on their end.

Does the app log in every time it starts up, or does it just have a stored access token that is simply supplied with future requests regardless of whether it's been 5 hours or 5 months?

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

#125

Post by newjersey »

greggman wrote: post #117
matwood wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. Current…

> 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)

I think 2 can be integrated into no permission passing some sort of Intent to the iOS address book framework.

Similarly, permission to read photos on a one off basis can be integrated into no permission. The user should get sent to Photos app and the photos app could ask them whether the user would like to share a particular photo or a particular group of photos with the app that sent them there and with the user's permission the iOS system app can pass the data back to the requesting app.

Sort of like what you said with

> 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 absolutely agree. I'd go as far as to say even Instagram doesn't need camera permission.

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

#126

Post by dlandis »

jsprogrammer wrote: post #70
niij wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does using an alt account violate Google TOS?

I believe the Gmail TOS used to state that one person could only have one personal account. That has either changed, or I am misremembering.

I think you're misremembering. In fact they make it very easy to have multiple accounts and open them all simultaneously within the same gmail tab, switch between them and manage them fairly seamlessly.

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

#127

Post by fblp »

After a long break from Uber I opened it up to price compare against Lyft. I switched between the two apps and then uber offered me two free rides. It seemed like it was detecting that I was hesitating to "come back" to Uber.

I use Android Lollipop and even if the permission didn't allow them to see I was using Lyft, I wouldn't be suprised if they're trying to re-engage "hesitating" users and are snooping for whatever data they can.

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

#128

Post by habosa »

matt_wulfeck wrote: post #49
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…

Either that's not entirely truthful, or the app permission system is totally broken... Need to find out when you last opened the app? "Get running apps"...?

Sure on Lollipop it doesn't work anymore but they could be trying to get some of this information from phones on KitKat and below, which are a solid chunk of the market.

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

#130

Post by habosa »

morgante wrote: post #78
0xmohit wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regardless of whether it's a non-issue on Lollipop (or later) or not, it exhibits the intent of Uber. And google is no less: https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2015/06/google-ch...

No, it really doesn't. It's a fundamental flaw in the earlier Android permissions model that it requests so much. Uber doesn't try to pull anything like this on iOS.

Actually that's backwards. Android moved to the new permission system (fewer perm groups, runtime user permission) to be more like iOS. It used to be that all permissions were granted at install time, which made apps much more likely to ask for onerous permissions because the user is unlikely to read the list or turn back.

It's likely they don't try this on iOS because iOS simply doesn't have the APIs to do this under any permission. It's a philosophical platform difference about what the user should be able to allow apps to do.

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