Google offers privacy audit tool to app developers

Google's in-house incubator Area 120 has introduced a service called Checks to help mobile app developers understand how their applications handle data and automate privacy compliance. Makers of mobile apps can sign up for Checks, now in beta testing, and have their apps scanned to generate data usage declarations for app …

[heyrick]

Can't help but think that Google offering privacy checking tools is like the local drug dealer offering healthy eating leaflets.

[b0llchit]

It is not "like"... Google offering privacy (checking) tools is the drug dealer giving away free samples of the super new improved powdered shiny high flying fantastic thing. You know you will be hurt by it and abused by its dealer. It can not be any other way.

[Tom Chiverton 1]

Ah ha, so this is how they understand what SDKs are doing so they can (auto)build a sandbox for them in the next Android...

[W.S.Gosset]

Check your privilege

"Educate yourself!" == standard alert message?

[teknopaul]

Re: Check your privilege

If only, the rule book is too big to read and changes on a nightly release schedule.

[W.S.Gosset]

Diff vs SLA map

I was shuddering at the implied faff & error-risk of building a config/per-app spec for Legal Obligations, but it looks like it's just running a diff on Found Permissions. Purely intra-code and relying on human response thereafter. Which is vastly more robust.

And very useful, I'd've thought.

[Anonymous Coward]

Takes one to know one

Who better than Google to tell if someone is violating privacy?

I put this in the "see we're doing something" bucket.

[YetAnotherJoeBlow]

Google cares about privacy - to ensure that Google is not sharing that data with others.

[Anonymous Coward]

Beware of Geeks

bearing gifts.

[Stuart Castle]

Can't help thinking it's somewhat ironic that Google, a company who's data slurping arguable contributed massively to the need to get privacy controls into apps is offering an easy way for developers to check that their apps comply with privacy regulations.

[teknopaul]

A lot of the design of privileged access seems to be monopoly abuse. Recently Android disabled "unused" prives by (non Google) apps.

Today it removed location privs for the non-Google find my phone app I have installed.

Bug or feature?