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posted by
Dopefish
on Monday February 24 2014, @09:00PM
from the don't-click-ok-to-accept-the-eula dept.
from the don't-click-ok-to-accept-the-eula dept.
andrew writes:
"Alternet.org reports recent updates to terms of conditions for Bank of Americas cell phone app and Capital Ones new credit card contract have given banks unsettling new abilities. These privileges include the authority to access to your phone microphone and camera or even showing up at your workplace and home unannounced at any time.
From the the article:
We're witnessing a new era of fascism, where corporations are creating intrusive and over-bearing terms and conditions that customers click to agree to without even reading.
As a result, corporations in America have acquired king-like power, while we're the poor serfs that must abide by their every rule or else."
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Have Terms of Service Become Totalitarian Tools?
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You can't have your cake and let your neighbor eat it too.
-- Ayn Rand
(Score: 5, Insightful) by frojack on Monday February 24 2014, @09:10PM
Don't want the app, don't install it. Its fairly useless anyway.
(Camera access is for deposit by photo capability, which is occasionally useful, but a 46 cent stamp does the same thing.)
As for the showing up unannounced, collection agents have ALWAYS had this ability. If You pay your credit card bills, they haven't got time to stop by and chitchat. If you skip out on your credit card debt, you can rest assured they will come see you sooner or later. You have to be served your subpoena in person. It the law.
John McAfee has pretty well lost all credibility in my eyes.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 4, Informative) by greenfruitsalad on Monday February 24 2014, @09:14PM
i've found that almost every android app does this nowadays. first few versions require a few privileges and then with every new update more and more permissions are required. if i didn't have cyanogenmod's tool to limit permissions, i'd probably have to uninstall 70% of my apps.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Monday February 24 2014, @09:46PM
Agreed.
Didn't mean to suggest this wasn't a real problem, (and its not just limited to Android).
Just this article, taking a bit from here, mixing in a bit from there, stirring in a bit of conspiracy theory, and trying to make more of it than it is.
Google made a (probably mistaken) preliminary release of an API to manage permissions on a much more granular level, and they will probably be forced into doing a full release of these after the fact permission denial tools. It can't come too soon if you ask me.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Cactus on Monday February 24 2014, @09:52PM
So many people don't even look at the permissions. If something tries to add permissions on my Android device that I don't like, I won't update it. As it keeps pestering me about updates I end up having to question how much I really care about the app being there. A lot of things get uninstalled. No, sorry, your to-do list app does not need to access my full contact list.
Luckily there are firewalls and permission-blockers available for rooted devices, too.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 24 2014, @10:14PM
49 cents. U.S. postage went up again.
(Score: 2) by TrumpetPower! on Monday February 24 2014, @11:17PM
b&
All but God can prove this sentence true.
(Score: 4, Informative) by frojack on Monday February 24 2014, @11:49PM
Just once in a while you have to take things claimed in an article with a grain of salt. Especially when John McAfee is involved.
The actual permissions from the Bank of America app are as follow:
This app has access to these permissions:
Your location
precise location (GPS and network-based)
Network communication
full network access
view network connections
view Wi-Fi connections
receive data from Internet
Phone calls
read phone status and identity
Camera
take pictures and videos
Affects battery
prevent device from sleeping
As you can see, these are pretty much stock stuff, It has to know when a call comes in so that it can get out of the way, it needs the camera to deposit checks (and video is combined with camera access), it needs your location to find branches near you, and it needs the network to access your account.
The Capital One app is roughly the same.
Really, sometimes people exaggerate, and McAfee has made a living at it.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 25 2014, @07:54PM
maybe as 'postage due'... 1st class stamp is 49 cents since Jan. 26, 2014.
Mmmm... pedantics.