How To Monitor Application Permissions

YOUR PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT

Today’s post is on Privacy, which is perhaps one of the -not so properly- addressed issues of all topics in the smartphone users’ community, especially in the developing countries. When it comes to the issue of privacy, most Smartphone users just wave it aside (claiming not to have anything to hide).

The truth is: Most applications that run on your smartphone (especially Third-Party apps), request for and collect way too much information about you from your phone than they actually need.

Why collect so much?

I have on so many occasions asked myself what these apps need the collected info for…the obvious answers were.

1
.     For easy identification of its users

2.     To keep updated and complete record of its users

3.     For statistical purposes

4.     To facilitate verification and protect other users in the event of any offence or violation of terms of use.

5.     Personalization of service

6.     And of cause, for the overall improvement of the service(s) they render.

What they collect

The detailed list of the types of information these applications collect cannot be completely provided, but they have been put into categories below.

1)    Network Communication permissions:

Which may include; full internet access; viewing network state; creating wireless connections etc.

2)    Hardware Controls permissions:

Includes; control vibrator; record audio.

3)    Permissions on Your Accounts

4)    Your Location

5)    System tools permissions

6)    Storage permissions

7)    Your personal information

8)    Phone calls permissions

9)    And more…….

Do they really need these…?

For example:

1.     Why does the ebay application I have installed on my phone need the permission to “discover known accounts” on my phone?

2.     What would Mobile9+ do with the permission to “read sensitive log data” on users’ phones?

3.     Does Binu sms application need to make calls directly from users’phones?

Answer to these questions is “I have no idea but I don’t think they need these permissions”.

How to take control

Basically, to be able to monitor and control the amount of information collected by applications installed on your device, you need to dedicate a little time and effort to Rooting your phone (Android users) and carrying out a one-by-one check for the permissions granted to individual apps. Doing this will, help to ensure that you know what applications have what permissions. Then you can use applications like LUCKY PATCHER to remove the permissions that you don’t want them having.

I would recommend this app to you “ADVANCED PERMISSION MANAGER”. Root is required to use this application.

NOTE: when some applications are denied certain permissions, they force-close (know what permissions are not necessary)

Download it here…

Or Google playstore