No such thing as a free app...
Oct. 21st, 2012 08:54 pmThis new phone (did I mention it was awesome already?) is the first smart phone I have had. So naturally after getting it I was keen to get my hands on some apps to take advantage of what is basically a small computer in my pocket (it has the same amount of RAM as my laptop). So I started having a browse through the Samsung and Google apps stores.
'Hey cool' thinks I. 'Look at all these free apps!'
Start to acquire free app.
Notice permissions I will be giving this app when I install it: network access (well that's fair enough for a game to post scores to the cloud and so on); storage access (well that's a no-brainer); access to phone calls including the number I am calling...
*blink*
I don't think so free Tetris game. You do not need to know who I am calling.
Some of them are worse. They get access to the content of SMS's and even acquire permission to purchase things on your behalf. That doesn't sound at all dangerous.
Funnily enough the paid version of apps - even the same app by the same company - usually get by with just network and storage access. So there is no such thing as a free app. You are paying for them with personal information. I think I would rather pay $2.
'Hey cool' thinks I. 'Look at all these free apps!'
Start to acquire free app.
Notice permissions I will be giving this app when I install it: network access (well that's fair enough for a game to post scores to the cloud and so on); storage access (well that's a no-brainer); access to phone calls including the number I am calling...
*blink*
I don't think so free Tetris game. You do not need to know who I am calling.
Some of them are worse. They get access to the content of SMS's and even acquire permission to purchase things on your behalf. That doesn't sound at all dangerous.
Funnily enough the paid version of apps - even the same app by the same company - usually get by with just network and storage access. So there is no such thing as a free app. You are paying for them with personal information. I think I would rather pay $2.