An email today said that the top 10 flashlight apps on Google are malware so i was wondering if the app "Flashlight" by Smalltech is included in this. The article is found here Cybersecurity Expert Gary Miliefsky - YouTube
I watched the video, and checked out the app you are talking about. The guy in the video is spreading FUD, and I'll explain why.
The app requires these permissions.
full network access
view network connections
read Google service configuration
control flashlight
prevent device from sleeping
It needs full network access because it's a free app, and it uses ads. Ads require network access. "Prevent device from sleeping" serves the purpose of keeping your screen from dimming while you're using the flashlight app.
These jackasses in the media don't understand how tech works, and start crying OMG the app is phoning home and stealing your information!
It needs full network access because it's a free app, and it uses ads.
These jackasses in the media don't understand how tech works, and start crying OMG the app is phoning home and stealing your information!
You haven't explained anything either though. Apparently out of the blue, you've just decided
Flashlight XT (posted above) doesn't.All the flashlight apps in the Windows App store that I checked out want microphone permissions, but I can't imagine why. Anyone know?
Flashlight XT (posted above) doesn't.
It's pretty clear from your tone here, and the other post I made that you called "B.S." that you don't like me. There's nothing I can do about that, but it does kind of suck.
No. I have absolutely nothing against you.
A bit more than a year ago I looked at a lot of games in the play store and found none that saturated more than two cores. That is why, in that other thread, I was sceptical of your claims (I'm still sceptical of your claim when it comes to apps rather than games). Anyway, things have apparently changed, and I'm thankful you brought those games to my attention. I'm looking forward to taking a closer look under the hood, when I get back into the office.
Here, in this thread, it's no different. I'm just asking you to back up your claims. Your claim that there is no chance of a privacy breach seems just as extreme to me as the security guy's claim, who says almost every popular flashlight app is spyware. IMHO those are both black and white claims, in an area where I expect the truth to be a shade of grey.
Why does one flashlight app (Flashlight-X, say), need owner identity, phone identity, video and still capture, media playback, photo library, phone dialer, web browser component, music and video libraries, and microphone, when another only wants video and still capture? Doesn't make sense to me.
I never said there was "no chance" of a privacy breach, but these guys are looking at the app permissions, and freaking out over them because they don't understand how apps work.
As for my other post that you called "BS"...