This App Requires Access to Write to Your Account - Screw That

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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May 18, 1997
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Given that most of our readers likely use smartphones and have a ton of applications on those, it very much behooves you to pay attention to that screen during installation that tells you what app has access to. More than once I have looked at what an application is wanting access to and stopped the installation at that moment. So when you have to apologize for "Nazi spam" on your Twitter account, like my mom would say, "That ain't nobody's fault but your own boy." And mom would be 100% correct.

Twitter Counter requests read *and* write access to your Twitter account, in order to do its jiggery pokery counting your Twitter followers. I gave Twitter Counter access to my account in October 2014, and that clearly was a decision I now regret. Quite why it would need write access, unless it is planning its own self-promotion, I can't say.

What should you do if you had your Twitter account hijacked in this way?

Probably admit that you are a jackass "security expert" at best instead of asking the internet to "behave?" Even my mom is smarter than Graham Cluley. There is also a "get a cluely, Cluley" joke in there, but I will be the bigger man and leave that one alone, or not. I can't wait to see the Nazi Twitter bird armbands to start popping up online though, I am sure Twitter appreciates that bastardization of its logo.
 
Number 1 reason why I barely have any apps on my phone. WTF does a game need access to my phone, contacts, web browser, etc? It doesn't, unless there are nefarious reasons behind it.
 
I don't know why we have to accept it as a set instead of giving us access to open/deny for those rights on and individuel basis.

again this mentality of companies taking away our rights/control/opotions on our devices
 
Number 1 reason why I barely have any apps on my phone. WTF does a game need access to my phone, contacts, web browser, etc? It doesn't, unless there are nefarious reasons behind it.

Problem with some permissions is people don't understand them.

A game may need access to your phone in order to save state itself when a call comes in for example. So the game isn't trying to be malicious, it's trying to save you from losing a hour of game play. ;)

The real problem is when like you said they also request access to contacts, and this, and that and this and that.
 
Not sure why you would give ANY app the access to write to your Twitter account. That is just stupid. From a "security expert" no less.
 
This is shitty, but yeah, giving apps write access is pretty dumb.

That being said, sometimes you miss the "changed permissions" warning during an update, and accidentally tap "accept all".
 
I don't know why we have to accept it as a set instead of giving us access to open/deny for those rights on and individuel basis.

again this mentality of companies taking away our rights/control/opotions on our devices

Android allows you to revoke individual permissions as of 6.0. It's in the app permissions part.

I can give storage access to an app but deny it camera permission. Some apps may balk at this and nag you. The good apps just turn off the feature that's tied to that permission.
 
Android allows you to revoke individual permissions as of 6.0. It's in the app permissions part.

I can give storage access to an app but deny it camera permission. Some apps may balk at this and nag you. The good apps just turn off the feature that's tied to that permission.

Thank you for the information. Sadly I'm stil lat android 4 devices :(
 
I just deleted my account. That took care of it, I think.....

And yes I've got Nougat on my Droid and you can deny permissions on almost everything.
 
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