Jigga why? Jay-Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail app has provided non-stop material leading up to the release of the album to Samsung phones tomorrow (July 4). However, rapper Killer Mike has kicked off a firestorm concerning what you may be giving up to get an album a few days early.
The rapper tweeted a picture of the controversial app's permissions and raised the question, how much data is the Magna Carta Holy Grail app collecting?
I read this and........"Naw I'm cool" pic.twitter.com/x8fXPG1tvC
— Killer Mike (@KillerMikeGTO) July 2, 2013
"I read this and...'Naw, I'm cool'" wrote Mike.
"Your location" and "Network communication" are typically harmless permissions. The app needs to know your location and network info to adequately send you pictures, music files and other data associated with the app.
It's the "phone calls" permission that is giving users pause. An app that needs to know information about your phone calls? Even in an age where we regularly hand over private info bit by bit, this sounds awful suspicious.
Via an Android Central piece explaining common permissions:
The most abused, and least understood permission of them all. Some apps need to know if your phone is about to ring. Maybe they need to save state (ie freeze what they're doing) for when the incoming call screen pops up, or they need to turn over audio control back to the OS. But this is also the one that can read, and send your IMEI and other identifying information back to some random server in Russia or God knows where. Often, these unique numbers are needed as piracy control, or to keep track of you without using any more sensitive personal information. The issue is when developers use these numbers for things like remembering your preferences for online services or app history...
My only advice here is to be sure you trust the developers of the app when you see this one. Or take a moment to email them and ask why they need this permission.
What do you think? Is Jay-Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail up to something? Or is Killer Mike just being paranoid?
Sound off below.
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