Post by Danny Nguyen.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
2 comments:
RATS....it is helpful to know where everyone is when all sh*t breaks out. Just lets keep this between outselves.
A lot of misplaced fear here. These app permissions are no different than most other apps out there, and if you look at them one by one in the context of the app, they all make sense. Here, let me break them down....
The app is asking for permissions for..
-Identity
The app looks for an already existing facebook account on the phone. If you have one already, then it will automatically pull the info from that account and log you in. If you don't have one, it will ask you to log in.
-Contacts/Calendars
The app wants to read your contacts. Why? Because it is a MESSENGER app. Kinda hard to message people if you don't have access to the contacts.
-Location
The app wants to know your location so that you can share it in messages. Don't wanna share it, turn the location setting off. It takes 2 or 3 taps to do so.
-SMS
The app wants to read and send text messages. Why? You can add your phone number to the app, allowing it to send and receive messages, just like a regular texting app. Some people like to have one app for everything.
-Phone
The app wants to be able to call phone numbers, and access the call log. That is so if someone were to message you their number, you can just tap on it, and call them.
-Photo's/Media/Files
The app wants to access your storage. That is so you can save pictures from messages, as well as keep a copy of the contact pictures on the phone. It saves time and (for many people) much of your limited data since you don't have to download a new copy every time you open the app.
-Camera/Microphone
The app wants access to them. This way you can take a picture or video and send them right from the app. If you didn't give access to this you would have to exit the app, open your camera, take the pic/video, save it, reopen the app, find the item you want to send, then send it. Or you can tap the icon in messenger and do it all in one spot.
-Device ID and Call Information
It wants to read phone status and identity. This helps, again, with making calls to people who send you messages. It has to know, for instance, that you are in airplane mode and can't make a call.
-Other
It want to Receive data from the internet. How else are you going to send and receive messages
It want to download files without notifications. This allows it to update small parts of the app without requiring a full app update, saving you data on your cell bill
It wants to run at startup. That way when you reboot your phone the app can start receiving messages
It wants to prevent device from sleeping. If the device is completely asleep, it can't receive a new message.
It wants to view network connections. This lets it know whether or not it can send and receive messages.
It wants to install shortcuts. That wait it can drop an icon to itself on the homescreen
It wants to change audio settings, that way it can alert you of a new message.
When you look at the permissions one at a time in the context of the app, none of them are nefarious.
Post a Comment