Apple Requires User Permission Before Apps Can Access Personal Data in iOS 6

[Bezetos]

A block of text or a one time notification isn't a "a real permissions system". It's a notification system. It tells you what the app has access to but you can't change it, so it's not a permissions system.

What the hell are you talking about. A "block of text"? That's one bloody heck of a simplification my friend.

In Android SDK you can perform certain API calls if and only if the user has granted you a permission to do so. Otherwise, you can't. That is a real permissions system, not a notification system. It's not just a "block of text" - it's not like a developer is simply writing "I'm gonna access your phonebook, oh, and uhm I need full internet access, yes, that's probably it, I think". Everything is based on requesting certain permissions - this is how a proper permission system should work like.

Truthfully, both iOS and Android could learn a little from each other. The two concepts are complementary to each other, but If I had to choose one, it would be the ability to manage permissions, because that grants the user more control.

And I prefer to know exactly what the app will have access too. I think this is a good moment to finish our argument.

 

[knucklehead]

I apolgize, I didn't realize our iPhones have been leaking our work and health information. May I ask how many people actually had their work and health information contained? Only if you have the time.

Here's something you might want to chew on .... if you have the time.

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2012/06/apple-wins-surprising-anti-big-brother-surveillance-patent.html

 

[goosnarrggh]

What the hell are you talking about. A "block of text"? That's one bloody heck of a simplification my friend.

In Android SDK you can perform certain API calls if and only if the user has granted you a permission to do so. Otherwise, you can't.

But the stock Android operating system automatically grants the App all permissions that were disclosed at install time. If, later on, you decide that you want finer grained control to grant piecewise permission to allow the App to do only some of the things that were disclosed at install time, then you generally need to root the phone to do it.

So at the end of the day on a stock Android device, the App will, indeed, have complete permission to do everything it disclosed, and no permission to do any of the things it didn't disclose. Which means this permission system still just boils down to nothing more than a glorified notification system.

Ideally, an OS would give the user the ability to specify piecewise permission for each requested category of personal information on a per-App basis. And then, if the App goes ahead and requests data that you don't think has any legitimate association with completing your desired task, then that App ought to just shut up and keep on going as though the requested data source was just an empty file.