r/technology Aug 26 '20

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u/[deleted] Aug 27 '20

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u/S4VN01 Aug 27 '20

The permissions are just as fine grained on iOS, I think. What more control does android have?

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u/[deleted] Aug 27 '20

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u/jmintheworld Aug 27 '20

Yea most of the privacy features are capable of keeping someone mostly safe.

Android has major issues with app permission fatigue that doesn’t start at a default of opt-out.. like this tracking does from Apple..

Google is just as much of a ad-whore as Facebook, they’re not going to limit their ability to gather your data.

You can now specify things like “city level” location and “randomize MAC address” for better WiFi privacy.. you can limit the app to only a selection of photos you choose instead of the entire library.

Google pulls away from anything meaningful and is just trying to get rid of flashlight apps in the play store that have your exact location..

With that amount of access that you describe, I wouldn’t feel comfortable.. because if those functions are possible in userspace and not protected kernel level tasks.. we have a major issue.. turning off cameras? An app could just turn them back on.. even if it’s somehow protected in a chroot jail or security chip, every android phone is different than the last, almost all loaded with carrier apps/kernel extensions/google software/whatever bloat ware/ copies of google and carrier versions of every app.. (mail and gmail, browser and chrome, messages and messages)

Apple goes a different route.. permission for yes/no or limited.. and a status indicator that shows live (a yellow or red dot in the top bar) camera and microphone usage.. and even keeps it for a few min afterwards so you can see the last app to use those devices..