Discovery App permissions.

[Mars]

So I got my S6 edge+ a couple of days ago, and its quite an adjustment from my Note 3.

I'm busy reviewing app permissions as I install them and a couple have caught my eye as to what they want to access.

The biggest WTF one so far is the Discovery app.



Why do they need to see my bookmarks and browsing history? Why do they need to see my call log?

Not even my FNB banking app asks for these permissions.

 

[BradleyKZN]

I may be totally wrong here, but browsing history might be related to say, you have been googling dentists in your area, it will efficiently assist in finding one quicker. Call log and bookmarks might be similar.

 

[stricken]

Pity Samsung will only be releasing Android Marshmallow in a year or so... Because it has granular permissions which you can deny on the fly.

 

[kolaval]

Or maybe their devs just started off asking for everything, and never changed it.
Because that looks dodgy as hell.

 

[SCHUMI-4-EVA]

I've never seen much point to reviewing app permissions. In many cases the definitions are far too broad on Android and an app will be requesting a scary permission but only because it needs access to one single function of the many functions grouped under that permission (sometimes a function you don't even realize would be found under that permission) and not because it wants to spy on you 24/7. And if it's from a trusted source or has sufficient users/downloads then you'll be getting it regardless of permissions anyways because clearly they sound scarier than they are. Only if something old with less than 10K downloads/users requests funny permissions would you perhaps deny it and then not even because of the permissions but more because you clearly missed the superior app that does the same thing that everyone else is using.

 

[airborne]

I also wonder about some apps permissions but the Discovery one even more so, how much of that data are they logging onto your Discovery health and life risk portfolio?

Discovery is one of those very advanced data intelligence companies, they mine and store data about you at every turn, build a better managed risk, or so they tell you. I wouldn't be happy if they were using the app as a data miner on all the phone info requested by those permissions.

 

[Mars]

So now the whole new rewards thing revolves around this app.

Ive been doing some digging to see if I can see why exactly they need so see running apps, device history and bookmarks. I found this website:

https://www.discovery.co.za/portal/individual/discovery-app-permissions

The category "Device & App History" does not even feature on that page.

I'm feeling less and less like a customer and more and more like a product.

 

[yeldoom]

I agree with Madman88 and don't use the Discovery App.

 

[faniebraai]

Or maybe their devs just started off asking for everything, and never changed it.
Because that looks dodgy as hell.

yeh, just sounds like a badly written app. probably included something off of the library to needs those permissions, and thus it asks for it. might be harmless, but they would do well to explain app permissions a lot better

 

[faniebraai]

So now the whole new rewards thing revolves around this app.

Ive been doing some digging to see if I can see why exactly they need so see running apps, device history and bookmarks. I found this website:

https://www.discovery.co.za/portal/individual/discovery-app-permissions

The category "Device & App History" does not even feature on that page.

I'm feeling less and less like a customer and more and more like a product.

I think they need to update that page a bit. those screenshots are ancient, and obviously the app has changed since then.

 

[koeksGHT]

I thought Discovery app logs driving etc to do with premiums.

 

[faniebraai]

I thought Discovery app logs driving etc to do with premiums.

That's the insure app, this is the medical aid one, as far as I can see.

 

[koeksGHT]

That's the insure app, this is the medical aid one, as far as I can see.

So when you need a new liver they will be able to see your web search history for alcohol abuse treatment and reject you liver.

 

[faniebraai]

So when you need a new liver they will be able to see your web search history for alcohol abuse treatment and reject you liver.

no.

so when you need a new liver they will be able to see your facebook drunk posts and see that you abused alcohol and reject you for a transplant.
(not sure if that is kinda what you wanted to say )

 

[koeksGHT]

no.

so when you need a new liver they will be able to see your facebook drunk posts and see that you abused alcohol and reject you for a transplant.
(not sure if that is kinda what you wanted to say )

Many ways to skin a client

 

[faniebraai]

Many ways to skin a client

hehe
and now these same guys want to start a bank!