Apps can scan the device for installed packages that have opted to be “visible”. This is particularly common for apps that attempt to prevent rooted users from using the app. I would not be surprised if the iOS platform has similar functionality.
I’m not a fan of TikTok but this seems like it’s not a big deal.
It’s done for legitimate purposes, for example knowing which apps to launch for a given ‘Intent’ or checking for the existence of Google Chrome to attempt to launch a Chrome Custom Tab.
It’s normal functionality for mobile apps.
Now, if they are scanning visible installed packages and sending that data to their own servers for storage, that would be a story, but there’s no evidence that that is occurring.
By the way, love your username.
Isn't the whole point of 'intents' exactly that apps don't need to know what other programs are installed, delegating the decision to the OS and user?
Explicit Intents are also common and are used for a variety of purposes.
> What harm are you trying to prevent from preventing "rooted users"?
Bypassing $streaming-app DRM/accessing its downloaded files for offline viewing (to copy elsewhere and keep forever) is a fair reason I think (better if it would just disable that feature of course).
No idea why banking apps don't like it though. I assume they (or rather some manager, presumably not their Android devs) think 'rooted, uh-oh, hacker!' or something.
But it’s even more wild that the industry laps it up. Thank god the tech isn’t actually good enough to truly achieve the vision - a corporate wet dream and a consumer dystopian nightmare.
It's one of those things about privacy like Steve Jobs said: "Privacy is knowing what you sign up for". A lot of the time, the creepiness comes from poor communication. It's fair for people to assume something bad.
Somehow we made a change with our view at permissions to let or not-let apps access our files (storage permission), location and camera/microphone... but why the hell do we let them do all the other stuff (like this?).
There should be a giant popup saying "TikTok wants to see the list of all the installed applications on your phone, do you want to allow that? yes once, not now, not ever" and it's done. Then have the developers deal with the "monetizers" if it's worth it for millions of people to see that popup and question why does a video app need such a permission.