Galaxy Store needs access to Phone and Contacts

[MiG_]

Well if you really don't want that to happen then just save your contacts to your Google account, remove the Google account form your phone, use the galaxy store app, remove contacts permission from the galaxy store app, add your Google account.
Simple.

"Simple" :-X

Apps shouldn't ask for contacts in the first place, and certainly not refuse to function without permission for them, if it isn't part of their core functionality. Especially not if it's additionally the sole vehicle to update manufacturer supplied apps with...

 

[lucianus_luciferus]

I get what you're saying but unless there are enough people to complain directly to samsung nothing will change.
Samsung will probably say 'if you don't like it don't use it' . Not ideal but not much we can do besides finding a workaround.

 

[MiG_]

It would probably be more beneficial to get a public organisation of some sort to put the spotlight on this. Not sure which one though.

It's bizarre how many apps require access to your contact list (which is probably one of the holy grails of private user information, together with camera, microphone, location tracking acccess and the contents of your calendar), when they really don't need it for their main functioning. I vet new apps for access, and if an alternative requires less of it I'll go with that one. For the samsung update app however no alternative exists...

And just in case this pops up, the excuse of "so you can easily share the app with your friends" is NOT a core function.

 

[Gayle Lynn]

Android 10 is a step in the right direction.

https://www.cnet.com/news/android-10-everything-you-need-to-know-about-its-new-privacy-settings/

The better and more technical angle here.

Some scary stuff knowing what use to allowed, too:

> Starting in Android 10, the platform doesn't keep track of contacts affinity information. As a result, if your app conducts a search on the user's contacts, the results aren't ordered by frequency of interaction.

https://developer.android.com/about/versions/10/privacy/changes

This gets into a can of worms -

>>>
Contacts Provider is a powerful and flexible Android component that manages the device's central repository of data about people.

The Contacts Provider is the source of data you see in the device's contacts application, and you can also access its data in your own application and transfer data between the device and online services.
<<<

https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/contacts-provider

I always thought Facebook was what the NSA would create to trick the public into helping build a global database "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon."

Also, maybe I need a Contact list that is... only me. And keep everyone else I talk to via snail mail, POTS (landline) totally old school.
Because, what I am seeing, is scary and there is no privacy.
Smart phones / not smart

 

[Apple2Droid]

But it doesn't let me open the store without granting access to my contacts first. I feel like that's really shady of them to want access to my contacts without there being a reason yet.

I 100% agree with you!! I've been struggling with this very issue for two weeks as I'm a first time Galaxy phone customer. I think I'm returning my Note 10 this week because of this very issue. I could continue to use it in "renegade mode," by not logging into the SammyVerse, but I would never ever trust them, which would make me start to hate this phone.

The GALAXY App store is part of the profile Sharing the Samsung phones have, so nothing to be worried about .

Can you elaborate on this? I am still very concerned about this so I'd like to understand what you mean here.

 

[mustang7757]

Can you elaborate on this? I am still very concerned about this so I'd like to understand what you mean here.

Another thing if people use their phones , for work,goverment,school google policy app might be a solution on your phone

 

[Gayle Lynn]

Contact includes access to device serial number, network access, IMEI and many other elements... which is why Samsung asks for access.

Everything in Settings, About Phone, Status - is in there and Sammy wants and is asking. Verify that phone belonging to you.

That surprising?

 

[MiG_]

It includes your private contact list (the permission is literally called 'Contacts'!), which is the thing everyone here is concerned about.
For updates the only thing of concern would perhaps be the right phone type (although the only thing that should really matter is the OS version).

Verify that phone belonging to you.

That surprising?

Yes. You're assigning police duties to Samsung, I doubt either them or its customers (i.e. us) are asking them to track stolen phones (which would require separate consent, also strongly privacy related). There are other, existing mechanisms for that.

 

[dendron01]

Contacts is an essential app on Samsung.. Disable it and your phone dialer won't even work. I'm not saying its right or wrong, but if you think Samsung hasn't read your contacts thousands of times by now you're kidding yourself...

 

[Virginia Smith42]

Galaxt s8 PIE . I still do not understand why Samsung apps need access to my files, particularly contacts, to update their apps. To give anyone permission to my contacts is legally a violation of their privacy as they have not consented. These apps will not update when permissions are denied. Who do I put at risk?
Does this have anything to the sudden loss of edgescreen and 3 dot menu?

 

[Tron73]

Think of it this way. Your contacts are sitting in a Samsung phone with the software coded by Samsung. If they wanted access to your contacts and phone, they already have it even if they didn't ask your permission. This is just for certain features that the store app can directly share to Samsung contacts.

Let's be clear about something: my contacts are MY CONTACTS, not "samsung contacts". Ref UR last line, "This is just for certain features that the store app can directly share to Samsung contacts."

 

[Apple2Droid]

Let's be clear about something: my contacts are MY CONTACTS, not "samsung contacts". Ref UR last line, "This is just for certain features that the store app can directly share to Samsung contacts."

Absolutely agreed!

And if Sammy already has all of our data anyway then why specifically ask my permission? Because they need it legally. That they re doing so seems quite nefarious to me. Needing to specifically ask means that there is some legal reason for which they specifically need this permission to sign into every single personal app.

In my case, I was merely trying to buy the Samsung extemd d warranty, which is only available for purchase after the fact by going through the Members app, and this is only possible if I have over my contacts. No thanks.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Let's be clear about something: my contacts are MY CONTACTS, not "samsung contacts". Ref UR last line, "This is just for certain features that the store app can directly share to Samsung contacts."

Your contacts may be your contacts but you are inputting them into software you do not own to communicate on networks you don't own.

 

[B. Diddy]

Send your feedback to Samsung. Maybe if enough people complain, they'll change the permission requirements so that they don't lose out on potential revenue.

 

[Apple2Droid]

Send your feedback to Samsung. Maybe if enough people complain, they'll change the permission requirements so that they don't lose out on potential revenue.

Samsung is doing this intentionally. When I've pushed back, I've been given 2 anemic replies. 1) We must have all of your contacts to verify your identity. 2) This is just the way we do business.

Both are asinine excuses. Being g the troublemaker that I am, I'm filing a formal complaint to the Android division of Google. --Please don't @me!

 

[Mike Dee]

Samsung is doing this intentionally. When I've pushed back, I've been given 2 anemic replies. 1) We must have all of your contacts to verify your identity. 2) This is just the way we do business.

Both are asinine excuses. Being g the troublemaker that I am, I'm filing a formal complaint to the Android division of Google. --Please don't @me!

What does "Please don't @me!" Mean?

 

[Apple2Droid]

What does "Please don't @me!" Mean?

It means please don't troll me with asinine responses.

 

[B. Diddy]

Samsung is doing this intentionally. When I've pushed back, I've been given 2 anemic replies. 1) We must have all of your contacts to verify your identity. 2) This is just the way we do business.

Both are asinine excuses. Being g the troublemaker that I am, I'm filing a formal complaint to the Android division of Google. --Please don't @me!

I agree with your approach, although I'm not sure if there's anything Google can do to influence Samsung's practices with their own app store.

 

[mustang7757]

I agree with your approach, although I'm not sure if there's anything Google can do to influence Samsung's practices with their own app store.

I don't think so either.

 

[Apple2Droid]

I agree with your approach, although I'm not sure if there's anything Google can do to influence Samsung's practices with their own app store.

I agree with you and I doubt anything will come of it, but it will make me feel better on principle. Oh, and I'm not talking about the app store–I never use the Samsung app store. My angst over this issue started just from not being able to buy insurance on the phone without agreeing to hand over my contacts. They do it with everything Samsung.