Android permissions lack user comprehension, apps tracks texts and phone calls

A new technical report from the EECS Department of the University of California, Berkeley reveals that the vast majority of consumers may be unaware of the risks of installing applications on their mobile devices. Adrienne Porter Felt, a computer science Ph.D. candidate, lead the investigation. The findings of the Internet survey and laboratory study revealed that only “17% of people paid attention to permissions during installation," implying that the majority of users either do not understand, or are unaware of the security implications when prompted by the Android permission warning system during the installation process. The report also gave suggestions aimed at improving user attention, comprehension and identification of future challenges. Given recent news about mobile apps tracking everything from text messages to actual phone calls, this research points to a very serious disconnect between users and their privacy violations.