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"Update: a Google spokesperson has reached out to us and gave us the following statement: \n\u201CThis report falsely suggests that Android users don\u2019t have control over which apps access their data.  Not only must each Android app gets users\u2019 permission to access sensitive information, but developers must also go through billing background checks to confirm their real identities, and we will disable any apps that are found to be malicious.\u201D\nMobile security company SMobile has looked into the potential privacy and security issues in more than 48,000 apps in the Android Market. The company's findings are alarming for Android owners, since approximately 20% of Android apps request permission to access private or sensitive information.\nSMobile's findings shed new light on Apple's tight grip over its own App Store, where apps must undergo a rigorous review process. By contrast, the Android market is open, meaning that Google doesn't minutely examine apps for approval (it did, however, ban certain apps from the Market) and Android apps don't have to be acquired from the Market; users can obtain them from other sources, like a developer's website.\nGoogle's approach makes it easier on the developers, but it can also result in a security nightmare for consumers. \nAccording to the report, one out of every 20 apps can place a call to any number without approval from the user; 3% of apps can send an SMS to any number, and 383 apps can read or use authentication credentials from another service or app. \nIt gets worse. Twenty-nine apps request the exact same permissions as apps that SMobile categorizes as spyware. Eight apps request a specific permission that would allow the Android device to brick itself or render it \"absolutely unusable.\"\nAlthough the numbers above sound scary, one need consider that owners of desktop PCs have been battling far worse odds for years. On mobile devices, however, Apple has made sure its App Store is free of malware or even remotely dangerous apps, which makes users feel far safer. \nYes, Apple's approach has its downsides, and we've seen numerous apps being unfairly rejected from Apple's App Store in the past. But if only one Android developer behind a popular Android app turns out to have bad intentions, it could spell a PR nightmare for Google and Android. \nYou can read the entire report here [PDF].\n\n\nFor more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2010/06/23/android-apps-privacy-threat/>