Tonight I stumbled across this charming app KillingTime Free by PNJ Inc. I took one look at the permissions and froze.
Here is a breakdown for you:
SERVICES THAT COST YOU MONEY
DIRECTLY CALL PHONE NUMBERS
Allows the app to call phone numbers without your intervention. Malicious apps may cause unexpected calls on your phone bill. Note that this doesn’t allow the app to call emergency numbers.
YOUR LOCATION
FINE (GPS) LOCATION
Access fine location sources such as the Global Positioning System on the tablet, where available. Malicious apps may use this to determine where you are and may consume additional battery power. Access fine location sources such as the Global Positioning System on the phone, where available. Malicious apps may use this to determine where you are and may consume additional battery power.
YOUR MESSAGES
RECEIVE SMS
Allows the app to receive and process SMS messages. Malicious apps may monitor your messages or delete them without showing them to you.
NETWORK COMMUNICATION
FULL INTERNET ACCESS
Allows the app to create network sockets.
YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
READ CONTACT DATA
Allows the app to read all of the contact (address) data stored on your tablet. Malicious apps may use this to send your data to other people. Allows the app to read all of the contact (address) data stored on your phone. Malicious apps may use this to send your data to other people.
READ CALENDAR EVENTS PLUS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
Allows the app to read all calendar events stored on your tablet, including those of friends or colleagues. Malicious apps may extract personal information from these calendars without the owners’ knowledge. Allows the app to read all calendar events stored on your phone, including those of friends or colleagues. Malicious apps may extract personal information from these calendars without the owners’ knowledge.
ADD OR MODIFY CALENDAR EVENTS AND SEND EMAILS TO GUESTS WITHOUT OWNERS’ KNOWLEDGE
Allows the app to send event invitations as the calendar owner and add, remove, change events that you can modify on your device, including those of friends or colleagues. Malicious apps may send junk emails that appear to come from calendar owners, modify events without the owners’ knowledge or add fake events.
PHONE CALLS
READ PHONE STATUS AND IDENTITY
Allows the app to access the phone features of the device. An app with this permission can determine the phone number and serial number of this phone, whether a call is active, the number that call is connected to, etc.
STORAGE
MODIFY/DELETE USB STORAGE CONTENTS OR MODIFY/DELETE SD CARD CONTENTS
Allows the app to write to the USB storage. Allows the app to write to the SD card.
SYSTEM TOOLS
PREVENT TABLET FROM SLEEPING PREVENT PHONE FROM SLEEPING
Allows the app to prevent the tablet from going to sleep. Allows the app to prevent the phone from going to sleep.
CHANGE NETWORK CONNECTIVITY
Allows the app to change the state of network connectivity.
CHANGE WI-FI STATUS
Allows the app to connect to and disconnect from Wi-Fi access points and to make changes to configured Wi-Fi networks.
I’m sorry, but why do people download these apps. It reminded me of another app that was brought to my attention a while back that is still sitting on the Play Store Super Mario World Fans the permissions for it are even worse. Add in the fact SMWF has between 10,000 – 50,000 installs.
So please take a little time and read the permissions of every app you install. Take a look at the other apps the developer has. Read the reviews people have left. It might also be a good idea to install an app like AntiSpy Mobile. We all here use it, and it is well worth the upgrade to the Pro version.
KillingTime Free
AntiSpy Mobile Free
I’m Robert Best, founder of this little site that you are looking at. And I hail from Lisburn. That is in Norn Iron, or Northern Ireland as everyone else calls us. Now on my 9th Android phone I am always looking for interesting and new things to do with Android. When I am not thinking about Android or anything Android related I can be found making music for either for my solo project or for one or two of the bands I am currently playing with. And there generally is not a moment of the day that goes by without you being able to see me with a cup of black tea.
email hidden; JavaScript is required
