Rovio explains why Angry Birds update needs SMS permission

This sounds similar to something on iOS 4.2. If you use any part of the asset library framework, which includes something as benign as building a photo chooser for the media library, the device prompts the user to allow access to location services because the photos <i>might</i> have GPS information in them. There is no way to prevent it because the permissions are not fine-grained enough. In the case of the article, the problem could be solved on the OS with the separation of SMS access and operator billing as permissions.

i wish i could refuse to give android apps certain permissions yet still install them. i don't want angry birds to ever be able to charge me money and certainly not read all my SMS messages. i simply won't upgrade.<p>for other apps, i just have to not install them; it doesn't seem like i can give feedback to app developers about this.

It'd be nice if the Android Market had a place to explain why certain rights are needed by the developer so this kind of thing doesn't cause such an uproar. You'd still have to take the developers word for it, but at least they'd have a chance to defend themselves before the public gets to worked up about it.

I find it interesting that Rovio is choosing to build its own payment system rather than use the options that Google is integrating into the Android platform.<p>I don't have a problem with granting these permissions to an app that I use that comes from a well known, trusted developer. Also, the features that require the permissions aren't used unless you actually make the decision to use them. So while the developers really should make sure they educate their users before taking their money, in the end it falls on the users to make the decision to buy.

I think the main reason this has become a bigger issue is Automatic Updating in Froyo. Since then, you have to manually update the app if the permissions change. Otherwise, the app will automatically update(if you allow it during installation). I always look at the comments now for an app that requires a manual update. Many times they are introducing adds or farming your data. Unfortunately it makes it so companies that are playing nice will be seen as doing evil. I for instance, did not update Angry Birds until I read this post. I was thinking they were farming my data to help boost their profits.

Now of course people seem to trust Rovio. But if another app asked me for permission to use SMS, could it surreptitiously engage SMS billing where carriers support it?