Warning on Microsoft apps.

[nasznjoka]

I've been watching closely Microsoft moves towards apple and Google OSes and I think the main motive behind Microsoft moves to creating lotta of these apps is just to collect data.. Just try to look curiously on the permissions some of these apps uses and compare to what they serve.. For example I've tested ARROW LAUNCHER. I think those using cortana are in a deep sheet.... I don't like this behavior of secretly collecting our info and then go ahead and bash Google who collects on user's consent.... Hypocrites

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[CasualGames]

Ohh my that looks nasty!

 

[nasznjoka]

Yeah and I compared this launcher to nova it takes like twice the permission needed for this launcher. Another page

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[AlexApger]

Classic Microsoft. To bad for them no one wants there ****ty software...

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[DCTF]

I don't think it's anything so sinister. They're just trying to making the most money out of their software investments and stay known and relevant in the hope that some people might become curious about Windows Phone.

As for those permissions, Cortana needs those in order to act as a personal assistant. Any PA app that didn't ask for those permissions would be an app with greater limitations. I don't think there's anything especially sneaky going on at all. You sound like a bit of a fanatic tbh.

 

[Rich215]

But yet its ok for some of you that Google does this to 1000% more.....haaaaaaaa funny.

 

[kg4icg]

You do know that Cortana can actually read out your text messages and listen to you dictate and send. So those permissions are legit, any more paranoia that needs to be debunked

 

[kramer5150]

Devils' advocate warning.... and how is this any different from Android and iOS?

I have two separate youtube accounts, one by default is auto-created with my google acct. I never use this acct, this the one Google wants me to use so they can track my usage, pillage that body of information and blast it all over the other google entities.... NO THANKS GOOGLE!!! My second YT acct I have had all along for 8+ years. Thats the one I actually use. I do not like how Google has taken over youtube and tried to force-merge everything from YT into google and vise-versa. Googles commercialization of YT really sux.

I can't even fathom using google+ and the whole social media world they have tried to create.

Say what you want about facebook (which I do use regularly)... at least its separate (or *somewhat* seprate-able) from Google.... I think

You have to keep your worlds APART....

 

[LeoRex]

Hold on, settle down now.... what permissions an app needs can sometimes be misleading. For instance, that SMS permission could very well mean that the launcher includes a feature to add an unread count to the icon, that isn't nefarious, especially for a launcher, is it? Now, there are instances where the permission request is EXTREMELY suspicious, such as a flashlight app requiring network access or access to the location service (flashlight apps are evil incarnate)

Those permission descriptions are among the things that the user will grant access to, not exactly what the app is going to use. I've seen some apps say "I am going to request x and y permission so I can do a and b" but not everyone does it. Problem is that the way those requests are worded, they kind of sound ominous.

 

[kramer5150]

Good discussion... I just click "allow" for all those permissions. I don't usually give them a second thought, because its the app that I am after. I will think twice now. thanks

 

[Rukbat]

If your device works with an App Ops app, you don't have the problem. If the suspect app doesn't work without the permissions you want to deny it, don't use it.

 

[kramer5150]

Can anyone recommend a good app ops?

THANKS in advance.

 

[nasznjoka]

But yet its ok for some of you that Google does this to 1000% more.....haaaaaaaa funny.

You ever know eula??? Well with Google it's well told to you before you even get started.... With Microsoft they take it without your consent.....

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[nasznjoka]

The reason it won't get in any of my devices

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[kg4icg]

Google Now does the exact same thing but you are paranoid about Microsoft, can we say irony.

 

[nessinhaw]

oh no, some big evil company wanting to steal user data!!!

seriously, be less paranoid lol I prefer that Google, Facebook and Microsoft have my data than some unknown company with unknown purposes!

have you actually checked other launchers and apps? most of them are ridiculous on permissions lol

 

[LeoRex]

Launchers NEED a lot of permissions to function properly. The more features, the more sub-systems it needs to touch, the more permissions it must be granted.

The one thing I give Google credit for is that they aren't coy about your data. They tell you what they gather, how they gather, when they gather it and how they use it. They give you control of every little byte and regularly encourage you to go through and give everything a once over to make sure everything's on the up and up (even giving out free Drive storage at times). So it's really a 'better the devil you know' situation.

 

[vineydhiman]

The onky application I like from Microsoft for Android is Microsoft Selfie, which is unfortunately not available for Android platform

 

[Rgv9fHQ8wSCABtMIOz6z]

Funny. You consented as much to Microsoft gathering your personal information as you did to Google. Have you ever wondered how any app that interacts with your communication services such as email, sms, calling could possibly work without, well, knowing what the hell is going on? Try giving a voice command to call contact x without those permissions. 1, voice command cannot be heard, because no microphone permission. 2, cannot find contact, because not contact search allowed. 3, cannot call contact because calling not allowed.

The permissions as they are stated in the store and in apps are mostly useless as a way to determine what the app actually does. Suppose I publish an app which sorts your contacts by hair color. Color comes from user images and determining that color is done server-side. The app requires permission to, among others, send those contact images to the server for analysis. That is what I state in the permissions overview. Perfectly normal, nothing sinister and you allow this. By doing so you actually granted the app permission to send your entire contact list with all information attached to some unknown server. You are just hoping that isn't happening when you allow those permissions to be given.

If you want to be thorough or paranoid, check the actual network traffic. Don't attack a company based on your interpretation of app permissions without any evidence of unethical, indecent or indeed any sort of behavior. As far as I can tell you don't even know if the app even makes use of those permissions, just that they are given.