Google to protect Android user data from prying apps

FILED - Google is taking new measures to protect privacy and prevent the misuse of apps on Android smartphones. Photo: Christoph Dernbach/dpa

Google is taking new measures to protect privacy and prevent the misuse of apps on Android smartphones. The tech giant plans is tightening the restrictions on how third-party apps can access call logs and text message data on Android smartphones. 

Apps from the Play Store may now only be given permission to read this data if the user has set it as the default application for making phone calls or writing text messages. 

Previously, any app could access this data if the user had granted it permission to do so. However, users often agree to permission requests from apps without really knowing whether the app actually needs the respective permission to function. – dpa