Privacy

I'm new to the world of technology. I recently purchased a Motorla Droid and it has been quite a challenge to figure out the functionality, your blogs have helped tremendously. I have spent days trying to figure out how to erase the history from the maps app and you solved that problem for me in a matter of mins. Thank you.

I noticed that the apps on this phone (free and paid) allow for what appears to be a very serious intrusion into your device. For example; the verizon wireless app can access your personal info, phone calls, data storage, etc?? Is there a way to prevent this kind of access? Do other phones capable of downloading apps allow for the same type of intrusion?

Accepted answers

Art010606

wow. paranoid much people? big brother is watching you? ha!

dont know about Vz specific apps but i know the T-mo apps and google apps in general in some cases do need location consent and apps like sherpa (which i think might be tmo only) is an app based around location and your prefrences specificaly. but if you dont like the access thats required you can decline installing. you also have to realize just because your starbucks locator app wants location consent doesnt mean the man is going to be tracking where your recieving your mocha lates from so if they need to find you for the grand departure they can make contact. it needs it to find out where your at. if your downloading visual voicemail yes it needs access to your contacts so that when you use your visual voicemail it will tell you who it was that called and their call back info.

if your really this paranoid to ask these questions, then any cell phone is not good for you unless its over 5 years old.

All comments

FredCDobbs

Some aspouse the droid is nothing more than an ad pushing data mining device. Isnt Google in the information business? I returned my droid partly because of this. You may consider the Omnia 2 if the Idea of google mining all your info is a problem for you.

Art010606

wow. paranoid much people? big brother is watching you? ha!

if your really this paranoid to ask these questions, then any cell phone is not good for you unless its over 5 years old.

christiemx

O.k for other newbies like me, the question stems from lack of understanding not paranoia. The answers is; the apps (not big brother or some other data miner) need access to certain data to in order to complete the intended function. For example, your GPS needs to access your location in order to give your directions; I know it seems simple but the Big Red Warning that the app (not big brother or some other data miner) has access to your contacts, personal data etc was a little scary for a newbie like me.

MrHacks

christiemx wrote:
O.k for other newbies like me, the question stems from lack of understanding not paranoia. The answers is; the apps (not big brother or some other data miner) need access to certain data to in order to complete the intended function. For example, your GPS needs to access your location in order to give your directions; I know it seems simple but the Big Red Warning that the app (not big brother or some other data miner) has access to your contacts, personal data etc was a little scary for a newbie like me.

By the time you finish reading this message, the laser's have already locked into your coordinates. :smileyvery-happy:

Here's the thing: The App is a program that reads DATA from a file stored somewhere on your phone or on your Gmail account. Verizon doesn't have access to your contacts. Motorola doesn't have access to your contacts. Google has the backup of your data stored in "the cloud" (basically, on one of their servers somewhere in California, stored in some portable storage unit filled with servers that store a ton of data. At least that's the story from some video I saw. Microsoft does the same thing somewhere near Chicago.) So basically there are two copies: The one on your phone and the one in that wherehouse somewhere in California.

YOU have access to this data. Google doesn't access it. The government could care less about what you do in your spare time. So the black van that is probably parked outside isn't about you. (It could be Mr. T. He drove a black van.) Reguardless, you have nothing to be worried about.

But if that still doesn't make you feel comfortable, perhaps you could ask the Electronic Frontier Foundation what your rights are as well as reading the Terms of Service for the device and your wireless plan.

Art010606

sorry if you took it the wrong way, i was giving the big brother joke to the guy who told you to drop and run bc der commiser is in town. but yeah, its mainly just for the app itself.

christiemx

My feelings were a little bruised, but I did learn from your reply. Apology appreciated and accepted. Thx for your help.