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Thanks for the help. I followed the link to the developers web site and I also found the app in the market.

I noticed that the application has access to the following:

Network Communications.
full internet access

Hardware control
take pictures

Your Personal Information.
Read Browser History and Bookmarks
Read Contact Data and Write Contact Data

I understand the access to Network Communications and Hardware Control but why the personal information. Why should this application be able to access, read and write contact information?

I would much rather purchase an app for a reasonable cost that to allow a free app to have access to personal information.

What do you think about this?
 
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I believe it is because those QR codes (the funky looking ones you can scan to download market apps) can also include contact info. Just scan somebody's QR code, and poof, you can add their info to your contacts without typing it all in. The alert is there simply letting you know that if desired, it has the capability to access your contacts. It doesn't mean it snoops through your info.:D
 
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I believe it is because those QR codes (the funky looking ones you can scan to download market apps) can also include contact info. Just scan somebody's QR code, and poof, you can add their info to your contacts without typing it all in. The alert is there simply letting you know that if desired, it has the capability to access your contacts. It doesn't mean it snoops through your info.:D

Well said.
 
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Ok, so I was still concerned about a program reading my contacts and using them for whatever.

I went to the developers web site and checked on their FAQ and this is what I found:

Why does Barcode Scanner want to access my contacts?

QR Codes and Data Matrix codes can encode contact information. Upon scanning such a code, you will be prompted to add the contact information to your contacts list. In addition, Barcode Scanner can encode a contact as a QR Code and present it on-screen, so that a friend can easily scan your contact information from your screen. This is why the app requests permission to write and read contacts. They are not used in any other way.
So this resolves the issue for me.
 
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I am never sure why there is so much concern about the permissions that some programmes ask for. Have you read the Google T&Cs you agreed to when you signed up for Android and a Google account and sent them all that personal information? They already own your ass baby!:D

And lets face it, if someone wants your info for malicious reasons, its easy to obtain, and they are unlikely to tell your that they are accessing it and then use it maliciously..
 
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I agree with you about the T&C's. That is why when I have to sign up for something like this I create an email account specifically for that reason and only give enough information to make it all work. I don't agree with all the personal information that is asked for and for that reason I always try to find a way around it. I guess I have a phobia about big brother.
 
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