• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Privacy Inspector / Privacy Blocker

larrycl

Member
Nov 16, 2010
75
17
This looks pretty cool:
Privacy Blocker app for Android spoofs your personal data - Boing Boing

Basically what the app does is scans all the applications you have installed. It identifies what data the apps are requesting about your phone and sending. It then will "fix" the privacy issue by replacing that data inside the app with hard coded (bogus) data. So if an app is sending your phone number back to a server, Privacy Blocker will hard code your number as "55544433333". You also have the option to override the default values and make it anything you want.

Free version scans only; pay version will do the blocking.
Anyone try it?
 
  • Like
Reactions: wayrad
Well, that was interesting. It gave me a little more information than could be gleaned from reading permissions, but just like the permissions I think it requires a good deal of interpretation. In my opinion the flagging of apps as "bad" should be taken with a very large grain of salt. It seems to assign that flag to any app that accesses a unique device identification number, and I understand there are perfectly legitimate reasons for this in a lot of cases. But there's no way to figure out whether to believe the "bad" flag or not except the tried and true methods of using your brain, checking user ratings, etc.

It's good for making you think about what's on your phone but could be conducive to paranoia, I feel. Also, I wonder about the wisdom of transmitting nonsense information. I have Droidwall blocking everything that doesn't absolutely need internet access, which seems like a simpler solution, at least for those apps.
 
Upvote 0
...

It's good for making you think about what's on your phone but could be conducive to paranoia, I feel. Also, I wonder about the wisdom of transmitting nonsense information. I have Droidwall blocking everything that doesn't absolutely need internet access, which seems like a simpler solution, at least for those apps.

I think the issue is those apps that you do want to use but have access to permissions you don't like. I know a game app that had access to my cell #. Now why would they need that? So if you use this and you're connected to the Internet then they can get this info.

Not sure how Privacy Blocker scans the apps but I used Lookout and found discrepancies. Privacy Blocker found one app clean but Lookout said it had access to phone state identity.
 
Upvote 0
I believe Android SDK does not allow an app to recompile other apps. This is blatant security breach.

The only reason I could think of is root-ed or using un-documented SDK API. Root-ed seems to be the likely option.

Think of it, if the app can recompile other app, then it can jolly well delete everyone app and make itself the ONLY (except those system-protected app) app ?

So users take caution on such kind of apps. It works as advertised but most likely using un-orthodox API and ways. Not exactly strongly encouraged by Android team.
 
Upvote 0

BEST TECH IN 2023

We've been tracking upcoming products and ranking the best tech since 2007. Thanks for trusting our opinion: we get rewarded through affiliate links that earn us a commission and we invite you to learn more about us.

Smartphones