CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidandroid-manifestbuild.gradle
Davy Gevaert
Davy Gevaert

Reputation: 61

Android permissions in regard of Warning of Google Play Developer policy violation: Action Required

I have an app on Google Play Store which I created and shows the location of all the cars that are parked in Kortrijk that are registered by sensors real-time and the app shows all those parked cars and free places to park on a Googlemap mapview.

However, I received a couple of days ago a warning of Google Play Developer that requires an action of a privacy policy.

My manifest is like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="be.programmeercursussen.parkingkortrijk" >

    <!-- Internet permission for network operations -->
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

    <!-- Creating Permission to receive Google Maps -->
    <permission
        android:name="be.programmeercursussen.parkingkortrijk.permission.MAPS_RECEIVE"
        android:protectionLevel="signature" />

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/parking_icon"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/MaterialTheme" >
        -->
        <meta-data
            android:name="com.google.android.maps.v2.API_KEY"
            android:value="my Api key ..." />

        <!-- SplashScreen => startup screen -->
        <activity
            android:name=".SplashScreen"
            android:label="@string/app_name"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait"
            android:theme="@android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar.Fullscreen" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>

        <!-- Main activity -->
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait" >
        </activity>
        <!-- ParkingDetail activity -->
        <activity
            android:name=".ParkingDetailActivity"
            android:label="@string/title_activity_parking_detail"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait" >
        </activity>
        <!-- StraatParkeren activity -->
        <activity
            android:name=".StraatParkeren"
            android:label="@string/title_activity_straat_parkeren"
            android:screenOrientation="portrait" >
        </activity>
    </application>

In the Developer console it said i've got Get_accounts permission and this is a violation, but this permission isn't hardcoded in the app. But then i found out that Google Play services library automatically adds this i think? So my line for compiling 

compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services:7.5.0"

I changed into the selective API part

compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-maps:7.5.0"

Changing this line into this and generate the apk and try to install it, the issue of get_accounts is no longer there in the overview of what the app gets access to when installing on a smartphone.

So my dependencies in build.gradle are now:

dependencies {
    /*
    find latest gradle versions on : http://gradleplease.appspot.com/
     */
    compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    // appcompat library
    compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:22.2.1'
    // material design library
    compile 'com.android.support:design:22.2.1'
    // recyclerview
    compile 'com.android.support:recyclerview-v7:22.2.1'
    // cardview
    compile 'com.android.support:cardview-v7:22.2.1'
    // google play services, selective API (maps) !!!
    // https://developers.google.com/android/guides/setup#split
    compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-maps:7.5.0'
    // Jsoup library
    compile 'org.jsoup:jsoup:1.8.3'
}

Now, if I generate the apk based on the manifest and build.gradle, it now says when installing the app will get access to:

- approximate location (network-based);
- modify or delete the contents of your SD card
- read the contents of your SD card
- view network state (full Internet access)

I am sure that view network state is required otherwise the app can't read the real-time xml from the Internet.

But I am not sure if approximate location will get me a new privacy violation?

Also I don't know why the app can read, modify or delete the contents of the sd-card as the app shouldn't be using those ... Are there any permission that are automatically set with the manifest and build.gradle?

Thanks for any help in advance,

Grtz Davy

Upvotes: 0

Views: 657

Answers (1)

Stefan
Stefan

Reputation: 2188

No permissions are set with a standard manifest.

Since you're using a below 8.3 version of the MAPS api, you have to include WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE which causes the modify or delete content https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/android-api/config#specify_android_permissions

The location permission also comes with the MAPS api

Upvotes: 1

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