Re: Making default permissions on Android more restrictive

[Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support>]

* Stefan Kangas <stefankangas@gmail.com> [2023-09-13 15:10]:
> [I couldn't find any previous discussion about this.]
> 
> 1.
> 
> a) I don't see why Emacs should be asking for these permissions on
>    Android 5.1 and earlier:
> 
>     RECORD_AUDIO
>     CAMERA
>     ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
>     REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES
>     REQUEST_DELETE_PACKAGES
>     READ_SMS
>     RECEIVE_SMS
>     SEND_SMS
>     WRITE_SMS
>     RECEIVE_MMS
>     READ_CONTACTS
>     WRITE_CONTACTS

I hope to see Emacs being able to do use all of the permissions on Android. 

> Are there any technical reasons why we need the above permissions?  If
> not, can we remove them, at least the ones in category (a) and (b)?

Emacs has Emacs Lisp, I use it for running programs and Emacs on
Android will hopefully get functions to use above permissions.

1. RECORD_AUDIO: Emacs could use this permission to enable voice commands or voice-controlled editing features within the editor.

2. CAMERA: Emacs could utilize the camera permission for functionalities such as capturing and inserting images directly into documents, visual recognition features, or scanning QR codes.

3. ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION: Emacs could leverage this permission to provide location-based information or contextual features, such as displaying weather information or adjusting settings based on the user's location.

4. REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES: Emacs may need this permission to facilitate the installation of additional packages or plugins from external sources to enhance its functionality.

5. REQUEST_DELETE_PACKAGES: This permission could be used by Emacs to uninstall packages or plugins when requested by the user.

6. READ_SMS, RECEIVE_SMS, SEND_SMS, WRITE_SMS, RECEIVE_MMS: Emacs could utilize these permissions to integrate SMS or MMS-based features, such as sending code snippets via SMS, receiving notifications or alerts through SMS, or extracting relevant information from received messages.

7. READ_CONTACTS, WRITE_CONTACTS: Emacs could use these permissions to access and modify the user's contact information, enabling features like autocomplete or inserting contact details into documents.

>     NFC
>     TRANSMIT_IR

1. NFC: Emacs could use the NFC permission to interact with Near Field Communication (NFC) tags or devices. For example, Emacs could read data from NFC tags containing programming instructions or use NFC for authentication purposes.

2. TRANSMIT_IR: Emacs could utilize the TRANSMIT_IR permission to control infrared (IR) devices. This could include using Emacs as a remote control for TVs, air conditioners, or other IR-enabled devices directly from within the editor.


-- 
Jean

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