The Insidiousness of Facebook Messenger’s Android Mobile App Permissions (Updated)

Read full article on http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sam-fiorella/the-insidiousness-of-face_b_4365645.html

In-app purchases An app can ask you to make purchases inside the app.

Device & app history
An app can use one or more of the following:

• Read sensitive log data
• Retrieve system internal state
• Read your web bookmarks and history
• Retrieve running apps

Cellular data settings
An app can use settings that control your mobile data connection and potentially the data you receive.

Identity
An app can use your account and/or profile information on your device.

Identity access may include the ability to:

• Find accounts on the device
• Read your own contact card (example: name and contact information)
• Modify your own contact card
• Add or remove accounts

Contacts/Calendar
An app can use your device’s contacts and/or calendar information.

Contacts and calendar access may include the ability to:

• Read your contacts
• Modify your contacts
• Read calendar events plus confidential information
• Add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owners’ knowledge

Location
An app can use your device’s location.

Location access may include:

• Approximate location (network-based)
• Precise location (GPS and network-based)
• Access extra location provider commands
• GPS access

SMS
An app can use your device’s text messaging (SMS) and/or multimedia media messaging service (MMS). This group may include the ability to use text, picture, or video messages.

Note: Depending on your plan, you may be charged by your carrier for text or multimedia messages. SMS access may include the ability to:

• Receive text messages (SMS)
• Read your text messages (SMS or MMS)
• Receive text messages (MMS, like a picture or video message)
• Edit your text messages (SMS or MMS)
• Send SMS messages; this may cost you money
• Receive text messages (WAP)

Phone
An app can use your phone and/or its call history.

Note: Depending on your plan, you may be charged by your carrier for phone calls.

Phone access may include the ability to:

• Directly call phone numbers; this may cost you money
• Write call log (example: call history)
• Read call log
• Reroute outgoing calls
• Modify phone state
• Make calls without your intervention

Photos/Media/Files
An app can use files or data stored on your device.

Photos/Media/Files access may include the ability to:

• Read the contents of your USB storage (example: SD card)
• Modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
• Format external storage
• Mount or unmount external storage

Camera/Microphone
An app can use your device’s camera and/or microphone.

Camera and microphone access may include the ability to:

• Take pictures and videos
• Record audio
• Record video

Wi-Fi connection information
An app can access your device’s Wi-Fi connection information, like if Wi-Fi is turned on and the name(s) of connected devices.

Wi-Fi connection information access may include the ability to:

• View Wi-Fi connections

Device ID & call information
An app can access your device ID(s), phone number, whether you’re on the phone, and the number connected by a call.

Device ID & call information may include the ability to:

• Read phone status and identity

Other
An app can use custom settings provided by your device manufacturer or application-specific permissions.

Note: If an app adds a permission that is in the “Other” group, you’ll always be asked to review the change before downloading an update.

Other access may include the ability to:

• Read your social stream (on some social networks
• Write to your social stream (on some social networks)
• Access subscribed feeds

When you review individual permissions, all permissions, including those not displayed in the permissions screen, will be shown in the “Other” group.