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Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

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Re: Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

#81

Post by FeloniousHam »

Kequc wrote: post #75
616c wrote: post #12

Whatever, fuck Google. If you are interest in doing this with Android, the autopatcher[0] does this for you on a whole series of ROMs on all versions of Android from 2.x-4.x, and has been doing so successfully for a while. There is a pretty active user community on XDA for the PDroid patchset as well.[1] [0] https://github.com/mateor/auto-patcher [1] http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1357056

> Whatever, fuck Google. Well this is going to be productive. I'm pretty sure Google isn't out to put all of its users through a meat grinder. For one thing people have been way off the handle about Google touching anything. At all. This article only mentions an accident that lasted one day. So it's "fuck Google" after everything, still, again I guess.

Right on, right on. While I like the potential of this app, the millions of devices with billions of applications that would simply stopping working with its introduction mean it will need a carefully orchestrated rollout. HN readers might be comfortable with "ever beta" technologies, but the other 99% of users are not (and it's odd that smart people fail to appreciate this).

Re: Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

#82

Post by neilkimmett »

corresation wrote: post #77
jackgavigan wrote: post #18

This is one area where iOS stands head and shoulders above Android. I used to run Cyanogenmod and I remember deciding to not upgrade the Facebook app because doing so would have required giving it a slew of permissions, including the ability to "directly call phone numbers". By contrast, in iOS, I can choose which apps have access to my location, contacts, etc. I know that Apple's track record when it comes to privac…

By contrast, in iOS, I can choose which apps have access to my location, contacts, etc. Could you detail the "etc"? To my knowledge historically the only activity that triggered a permission confirmation was a precise location fix. Later, after a debacle with many apps siphoning and scurrilously offloading contact lists, contact access was added as a confirmation. Android has very granular permissions, and iOS does n…

In iOS7 you can granularly allow/disallow apps access to: location services, contacts, calendars, reminders, photos, bluetooth sharing, microphone, motion activity (iPhone 5S and new iPads only)

The first time an app tries to access any of the above you will be asked whether to grant it permission or not. You can then edit this preferences in Settings.app > Privacy

Re: Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

#83

Post by throwwit »

mikecane wrote: post #70
throwwit wrote: post #20

This is a pretty disturbing trend. Just recently I ran into problems with a TV station's app on iOS that refused to play video without Location Services Enabled. I don't mind a general region being disclosed, but the house-level accuracy of the location data definitely creeps me out. I don't think the general public realizes location can be equivalent to a person's id.

>>>Just recently I ran into problems with a TV station's app on iOS that refused to play video without Location Services Enabled. When it comes to things such as entertainment, regional rights restrictions probably have more to do with that than the app wanting to spy on you. I'm not saying this is right. Just saying how the lawyers have sliced things into pieces like that.

They could get that region-level information already from ISP routing info. This ratcheting up of info means: The household owner's name, their affluence, postal code, phone number, a cross match with google street view and all info that shows (new car?). The last thing I want is to watch a home reno show on a tablet and then be deluged with phone calls soliciting for new windows. This is definitly not 'right'. (edit: on top of watching ads that glitch and repeat.)

Re: Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

#84

Post by mdorazio »

corresation wrote: post #77
jackgavigan wrote: post #18

This is one area where iOS stands head and shoulders above Android. I used to run Cyanogenmod and I remember deciding to not upgrade the Facebook app because doing so would have required giving it a slew of permissions, including the ability to "directly call phone numbers". By contrast, in iOS, I can choose which apps have access to my location, contacts, etc. I know that Apple's track record when it comes to privac…

By contrast, in iOS, I can choose which apps have access to my location, contacts, etc. Could you detail the "etc"? To my knowledge historically the only activity that triggered a permission confirmation was a precise location fix. Later, after a debacle with many apps siphoning and scurrilously offloading contact lists, contact access was added as a confirmation. Android has very granular permissions, and iOS does n…

Looking at the Settings area on my phone, it is possible in iOS 6 to set App-level permissions for: -Push Notifications -Location Services -Contacts -Calendars -Reminders -Photos -Bluetooth -Twitter Account Access -Facebook Account Access. Note that iOS7 may have added more.

Re: Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

#85

Post by nekopa »

Kequc wrote: post #75
616c wrote: post #12

Whatever, fuck Google. If you are interest in doing this with Android, the autopatcher[0] does this for you on a whole series of ROMs on all versions of Android from 2.x-4.x, and has been doing so successfully for a while. There is a pretty active user community on XDA for the PDroid patchset as well.[1] [0] https://github.com/mateor/auto-patcher [1] http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1357056

> Whatever, fuck Google. Well this is going to be productive. I'm pretty sure Google isn't out to put all of its users through a meat grinder. For one thing people have been way off the handle about Google touching anything. At all. This article only mentions an accident that lasted one day. So it's "fuck Google" after everything, still, again I guess.

I don't know if you read the article properly (or maybe I didn't) but the 'accident' was improved privacy. Then they took the better privacy feature out. So that could qualify for a fuck Google comment.

Re: Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

#86

Post by endemic »

corresation wrote: post #77
jackgavigan wrote: post #18

This is one area where iOS stands head and shoulders above Android. I used to run Cyanogenmod and I remember deciding to not upgrade the Facebook app because doing so would have required giving it a slew of permissions, including the ability to "directly call phone numbers". By contrast, in iOS, I can choose which apps have access to my location, contacts, etc. I know that Apple's track record when it comes to privac…

By contrast, in iOS, I can choose which apps have access to my location, contacts, etc. Could you detail the "etc"? To my knowledge historically the only activity that triggered a permission confirmation was a precise location fix. Later, after a debacle with many apps siphoning and scurrilously offloading contact lists, contact access was added as a confirmation. Android has very granular permissions, and iOS does n…

I think benefit of iOS privacy controls is that you can still install the app, then simply deny it access to data. Android asks you for _all_ permissions up front: allow access or you don't get the app. See: recent flashlight app fiasco.

Re: Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

#87

Post by e40 »

outworlder wrote: post #64
jackgavigan wrote: post #18

This is one area where iOS stands head and shoulders above Android. I used to run Cyanogenmod and I remember deciding to not upgrade the Facebook app because doing so would have required giving it a slew of permissions, including the ability to "directly call phone numbers". By contrast, in iOS, I can choose which apps have access to my location, contacts, etc. I know that Apple's track record when it comes to privac…

Do not expect Google to implement it anytime soon, due to the massive app breakage potential. Android's permission system looks good on the surface. However, there are so many required permissons nowadays that many users do not even check them anymore. And you can revoke specific permissions on an app by app basis. On iOS, developers are told not to rely on certain permissions being available, such as location. Some…

Do not expect Google to implement it anytime soon, due to the massive app breakage potential.

I run AppOps 4.3/4.4 rooted (so I use the "App Ops X" version internally), and I must say, I've restricted most of my non-system apps and I've never seen a single broken app.

I think this potential is vastly overblown.

EDIT: for example, in the official twitter app, I turn off these:

* Location

* Read contacts

* Receieve SMS/MMS

* Post notification

* Wake lock

Never had a single problem with the app.

Re: Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

#88

Post by corresation »

endemic wrote: post #86
corresation wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By contrast, in iOS, I can choose which apps have access to my location, contacts, etc. Could you detail the "etc"? To my knowledge historically the only activity that triggered a permission confirmation was a precise location fix. Later, after a debacle with many apps siphoning and scurrilously offloading contact lists, contact access was added as a confirmation. Android has very granular permissions, and iOS does n…

I think benefit of iOS privacy controls is that you can still install the app, then simply deny it access to data. Android asks you for _all_ permissions up front: allow access or you don't get the app. See: recent flashlight app fiasco.

I absolutely agree with this. It was very shortsighted that apps weren't, from day one, warned that certain permission types are optional. And it's a mistake with every version of the SDK that they don't add the ability for apps to set permissions as such. Instead it continues that apps work on the notion that if they are running, they must have the permission, when just a few null/error checks would save the day.

Re: Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

#89

Post by hnha »

dictum wrote: post #50
throwwit wrote: post #20

This is a pretty disturbing trend. Just recently I ran into problems with a TV station's app on iOS that refused to play video without Location Services Enabled. I don't mind a general region being disclosed, but the house-level accuracy of the location data definitely creeps me out. I don't think the general public realizes location can be equivalent to a person's id.

> I don't mind a general region being disclosed, but the house-level accuracy of the location data definitely creeps me out. This is exactly what I want most of the time. My ISP's servers are usually in neighboring cities, so geoip isn't precise enough, but GPS is too precise for my needs. I just want to disclose what city I'm in. This is enough info to give me useful results (e.g. I search Google for "italian restau…

There are apps to "fake" your location so maybe you can find a suitable one. I never used one but my external Bluetooth GNSS device feeds its accurate location into Android the same way. Please share if you do find a good one!

Re: Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claims Release Was Accidental

#90

Post by SmileyKeith »

This is a major issue Google needs to deal with in Android IMO. I'm surprised that this feature ever existed in Android because of how coupled permissions are with applications. Since applications request all permissions on install I imagine most developers don't have much conditional code for their failure, unlike iOS where you have to because there's a possibility a user may deny access to a single specific thing, like location data. I'd really prefer to see Android go more towards that. When you look at the permissions an application like Facebook requests on install it's just insane.
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