[svein99]

Are any of the apps able to dial home (user data etc) to developer or BlackBerry /Google? Any difference here between native and non- native apps?

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[Richard Buckley]

BlackBerry guardian checks for that for all applications in BlackBerry World native and Android. Comming in 10.3 the phone will scan applications from other sources and check with the BlackBerry Guardian server.

Posted via CB10

[svein99]

Excellent feedback! Based on this I found the following informative link - http://mobilesyrup.com/2014/07/29/bl...-android-apps/

This should ensure we don't install malware, but my original question also related to how apps can track what you do and where you go. The latter is particularly important with apps that can run in the background - not withstanding app permissions granted.

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[Richard Buckley]

I don't know how I could have been more clear. BlackBerry guardian checks for that. If an application does something with user data that does not make sense for its stated function BlackBerry will (and has) take action.

Here is one example.

[Superdupont 2_0]

I have two defense lines:

1) Application Permissions

This feature is not available on most Android versions, but it has always been available on all BlackBerry devices (even legacy).

40 apps installed on my device, which have absolutely no permission.
Another 10 apps, which have very limited access, because a music player like Neutron for example wouldn't work without having access to my files.

2) Network monitor

This app doesn't need any permission.

My device is constantly connected to ip addresses from BlackBerry and freemail providers.
Occasionally it connects to an ip address of my wireless network provider, a bit strange...

For the very few apps with file access permission, I have so far not observerd an internet connection.

Apps like certain Online Games, Twitter or CB do establish internet connections, when they are open (not when they are closed), but this is totally expected and correct behavior (and again: without permissions the apps cannot leak any information anyway).

All in all, my device is not establishing a lots of connections.

But allow me a mild warning:

I remember a few apps for BB 7, which report device info to tracking services.
I assume the same exists for BB 10 apps.
Developers are sometimes using these services, because they would like to know on which devices their apps are (mainly) running and also *how* the app is running.
And I can fullly understand that.
If I would be a dev, I would like to have "market information" related to my app

But nevertheless, I usually don't give this kind of permission to apps in the first place, because I don't know where the information is going to...so I never observed it on BB 10.

[Superdupont 2_0]

Update:

Played a little bit more with Network Monitor on my Playbook.

Groovy Notes on my Playbook is automatically dialing to 74.125.232.78:80, in the moment I open the app.

The ip belongs to Google

Note that Groovy Notes does that on the Playbook without asking for the "internet permission".

However, some games with online functions do the same (= establishing a connection without asking for the "internet permission") on my Playbook, but this wasn't a surprise.

Interestingly some apps do require "internet permission" on the Playbook, while they don't need this permission on my Q5.

[svein99]

Nice work! I downloaded Network Monitor which showed Google services running. This terminated when I closed the browser. I'll do more testing later. The monitor is useful, but font size is impossible to read so you need to use magnifying glasses to use it.

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