Does the 'phone' permission access the accelerometer and gyroscope?

[slugboy6000]

I downloaded an auto insurance app which wants access to my 'phone' permission. On the app's support page it says that this permission is needed to access my phones accelerometer and gyroscope.
That sounds fishy to me, can anyone comment?
I was unable to find any detailed permissions info.

-Thank you-

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! That does sound fishy to me. This article mentions that permissions aren't needed to access the accelerometer, but the article was from 2019, so it's possible something may have changed since then: https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2019/07/23/spearphone-researchers-eavesdrop-on-phone-loudspeakers/.

Are you sure the app isn't asking for Phone permission so that it can easily call the agent or support directly from the app?

 

[mustang7757]

I downloaded an auto insurance app which wants access to my 'phone' permission. On the app's support page it says that this permission is needed to access my phones accelerometer and gyroscope.
That sounds fishy to me, can anyone comment?
I was unable to find any detailed permissions info.

-Thank you-

Which auto insurance app is that?

 

[Deke218]

You might want to read up on those insurance tracking apps. Safe driving can be used for your benefit. What insurance companies call unsafe driving - which can be anything from a sudden stop to make turns to quickly - can be used against you and your rates could increase.

 

[Smokeaire01]

You might want to read up on those insurance tracking apps. Safe driving can be used for your benefit. What insurance companies call unsafe driving - which can be anything from a sudden stop to make turns to quickly - can be used against you and your rates could increase.

Yeah, be wary of those insurance safe driving apps. I'm a safe driver, had drivers Ed class in high school in '70. However I would never install one of those apps. Sometimes driving indiscretions happens and who knows how strict their definition of unsafe driving is, along with how much information is being collected and reported back to the insurance company.
Insurance companies would love to raise your rates.

 

[slugboy6000]

Welcome to Android Central! That does sound fishy to me. This article mentions that permissions aren't needed to access the accelerometer, but the article was from 2019, so it's possible something may have changed since then: https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2019/07/23/spearphone-researchers-eavesdrop-on-phone-loudspeakers/.

Are you sure the app isn't asking for Phone permission so that it can easily call the agent or support directly from the app?

This is a quote from their website...
"We need access to "make and manage phone calls" on your Android device for its accelerometer and gyroscope sensors. "
If I turn the phone permission off, the app complains about it.

I just don't like them harvesting unnecessary data and would be reason enough for me to not use the app which belongs to Belair Direct and their automerit program.
I've read some good arguments for not using such apps.
It isn't very useful to users to have the ability to turn permissions on or off if we don't know what they do?