[AC Question]

I'm taken back by the fact that so many people obviously share the same concern about apps requiring lots of seemingly irrelevant permissions but not one response explains why this is justifiable and 'not to worry'

[belodion]

Not one response from where?

Anyway, read Jerry Hildenbrand's article:
What some of those scary application permissions mean http://www.androidcentral.com/look-a...on-permissions

Posted via the Android Central App

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! That's a good article to read. No one is really saying "not to worry." You need to be aware of which permissions an app is asking for, and see if they make sense. Good developers often explain permissions in the app description. It's also incumbent upon the user to exercise good judgment when choosing apps. For example, if you're thinking of installing an app that looks like a ripoff of a popular app, with lots of 1 star reviews from people who complain about adware and other unwanted junk that gets installed with it, and lots of 5 star reviews that look very similar and are overly effusive, then think twice or three times before installing it, because it's probably shady.