Rumours

Google 'to give Android users better security controls'

Search giant may give mobile users better app permissions controls

11 May 2015

The rear of an Android smartphone including its camera

Android users may soon be able to decide just how much of their information their apps can access, with Google reportedly ready to introduce tighter security controls.

The search giant's mobile operating system is set to hand users more power over what personal information remains private, and which apps can access their data, according to Bloomberg.

The publication cited sources familiar with the matter, saying the controls would cover photos, contacts and location, with Android users able to better control what is and isn't shared with these apps.

It comes after Google simplified Android's app permissions in the summer of 2014, so the latest move represents something of a u-turn.

An official announcement could happen at Google's developer's conference this month, reported Bloomberg, though Google did not comment on the story.

Android has been under pressure to bolster its security, after it was found that millions of devices were vulnerable to attack from malware.

This involved user information being stolen by malicious fake apps downloaded onto smartphones by accident.

Gartner also predicted that Android would soon start to lose more and more of its customers to Apple, with Google already suffering from the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus's popularity, after consumers began to abandon the open-source operating system.

Giving Android users more power over how much information is shared across applications would certainly be a selling point, and may keep customers from jumping ship.

Photo courtesy of opopododo on Flickr