
Multiple Android apps use combined permissions to siphon personal data - DyslexicAtheist
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2018/03/vb2016-paper-wild-android-collusions/
======
codedokode
So the main purpose of new technology is to help corporations spy on people.
Google Maps wants to know where you go, Facebook wants to know whom do you
call, chinese SDKs want their share of data.

Some time ago I looked into Uber app and saw inside a Baidu SDK if I remember
correctly. It had the class that was collecting WiFi network ids and sending
them to some server. Of course, I cannot say that this code was really invoked
by the app, but anyway this was very suspicious.

Some regulation is definitely necessary. The market cannot do anything with it
and it needs help.

~~~
codedokode
Imagine if you invited an electrician to your house to fix something, but he
would secretly search for your documents and copied them. That is what many
apps do today. They advertise themselves as a game or as a map app but
secretly they spy on you or use your phone for their purposes.

~~~
tn_
That's not a fair comparison. Imagine if you hired an electrician for no
money, and you kept using them over and over again. I expect if I were to pay
for an alternative to not have my privacy violated.

~~~
codedokode
It doesn't matter. If an electrian says he will work for free it doesn't give
him any special rights to do anything except his job.

It is sad that some people in Silicon Valley find it acceptable and ethical.

~~~
BoorishBears
They don’t say they’ll work for free, they say they’ll work in exchange for
your data, which they will then sell

~~~
s73v3r_
Where do they come out and say that? Where do they put a message, in readable
english, and not buried under a thousand other things, that says they'll do
that?

~~~
megy
I guess you could say they do that when they ask for permission to you camera,
to your call list, etc...

~~~
codedokode
Allowing the app to access the contact list doesn't mean that the user allows
to upload call history to the server. Maybe they only want to add one of the
people from their contact list.

------
mgleason_3
Congress REALY needs to pass strong privacy regulations.

~~~
craftyguy
They can barely keep the government running. Don't hold your breath.

