On my Samsung Android phone I just saw a notification. It said: " The apps below were detected using permissions in the background. The history will be automatically deleted after 1 month"

It listed Line and Microphone.

 

Is this cause for concern?

 

Can you be more specific about the event? Did you make a call with LINE while being on your home screen for example?

 

I'm not sure if this would constitute using the app in the background or not.

 

If you're concerned, I would disable microphone permissions (and any others you consider to be a privacy concern) for the time being and enable when you need to make a call and/or use voice messaging.

Thanks for the reply.

 

Yes, I made a voice call on Line a few minutes earlier. Not while being on my home screen - I went into Line and made the voice call from there.

 

It's the fact it had the word "background' in the notification, as if it was something going on without me knowing, or perhaps when I wasn't even touching the phone?

Perhaps I'm being paranoid? If so then I'd end up disabling the microphone and the camera too I suppose.

 

I use line and am very interested if anyone knows about this snooping. 

49 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Perhaps I'm being paranoid? If so then I'd end up disabling the microphone and the camera too I suppose.

If I had a smart  phone, I'd disable all apps and enable the one you want to use for the moment. I would not use the 'home wi-fi' with the phone, unless you have a vpn on your router.

I hope they are snooping...

That's why I watch midget porn with the phone a couple meters away so they can see the full monty ????

Let them snoop

"Background" in computer (programmer's) language is everything which is not in the foreground.

Some applications should have permission to run in the background because that is what users want.

I.e. if someone calls you on LINE then likely you want to hear a ringtone and see a notification - even if you don't use LINE at that moment.

To be able to give you that notification LINE has to work in the background.

 

If you use i.e. a calculator that does not need to inform you about anything when you don't use it. So it does not need permission to run in the background.

 

I don't know if this applies to what just happened to you, but that's the principle.

General comment, and I'm no phone wizard but I felt it was a worthwhile exercise to go through all Apps, one by one, (Settings/App Manager) and see what permissions they have by default.  Took me about 20-30 minutes the first time and it was an eye-opener. 

 

Apart from necessary Andoid system programs, started deleting/uninstalling Apps I never use.  Some I could just disable.  Those I was unable to uninstall or disable, like a lot of those pre-installed/never used Samsung Apps, I turned off every permission it had, notifications, background function, etc.  Many resulted in a pop up messaging warning that the App wouldn't function properly without this or that permission.  If I ever need it, or a 3rd party App I've downloaded but rarely use, the phone reminds/prompts me I need to turn on X permission.  Like Maps/Navigator, for instance, turn on GPS/Location, storage, etc., then shut it down again when I'm done using it. 

Try not to send any dick pics using LINE...at least with ur face in them...u never know.

Any free service is making money by collecting all ur data and selling it to someone.

My mate Dave got one of these 'cos he was thinking the same .. He first tried wrapping the phone in bacofoil but that proved a tad impractical every time he wanted to use it .. and it looked like he was carrying a thin sarnie about everywhere .. 

Then he took to only using the phone in a subway ( no not the sandwich shop a real subterranean one ) but that proved to be a bit of a drag to go to as it was half a mile from where he lived .. 

So he went and bought one of these .. But I can't say how good it is as I haven't seen him since .. 

 

Nothing to be concerned about, "background" merely means its ready to use when you wish, as opposed to having to have to completely load the whole program every time. That is also why it will close down after a period of time of no use. Every time you use it, it will reset and "wait" for you so to speak. 

 

If you run a pc or laptop, look in task manager at the amount of "background" stuff running for ease of access to programs and tasks etc.

All the APP are snooping, the invention of the smartphone served this purpose. 

4 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Nothing to be concerned about, "background" merely means its ready to use when you wish, as opposed to having to have to completely load the whole program every time. That is also why it will close down after a period of time of no use. Every time you use it, it will reset and "wait" for you so to speak. 

 

If you run a pc or laptop, look in task manager at the amount of "background" stuff running for ease of access to programs and tasks etc.

 

I agree but it depends on the context. Apple recently (IIRC) updated iOS to notify when an app was using a specific function in the background while not directly using the app. In the case of LINE on Android, my guess is the notification came as a result of simply putting the phone to your ear and the screen going off hence it became a background process as you weren't observing what's happening directly on your phone.

 

6 hours ago, Vacuum said:

If I had a smart  phone, I'd disable all apps and enable the one you want to use for the moment. I would not use the 'home wi-fi' with the phone, unless you have a vpn on your router.

I went one better and disabled my self and now use a dumb phone.????

I’ve never used Facebook as I’ve seen enough people fired, tracked down and bullied to understand anyone who does use it is a lunatic. Because (pre brexit) it is very difficult to cite anyone, I know of one London finance house that employs three people to build up dossiers on their employees social media activity thus making it easier to fire them when the time comes. Another bank will fire you if their logo appears in anything you put online. 
 

Fast forward to LINE, if someone in my contacts just ‘liked’ something then boom I’m into that persons account and all the accounts that have ever liked that one and so on. Very very open. 

Someone where I use to work would never give their age, I bet them I could find out their age and address within 24 hours - it took me 11 minutes using social media/google  She was not best pleased, 

 

Social media is a modern day curse, it has turned the young into shuffling zombies, and caused carnage to the older generations lives/pensions etc. 
 

If you’re into wanting to know every time your friend eats a sprout, be prepared for the implications of what everyone knows about you. 

One should always review permissions and question why some apps want access to data and processes they ostensibly have no need for.

That said. any messaging app such as LINE/WeChat?What'sAp ect that offers voice and video calling does need to use the microphone and camera to do the job. They need to access your photos to send them when you choose to and your contact list to make you accessible.   If you are willing to take the time and make the effort, you can usually go into an apps settings and narrow down what it can and can not do.

 

Just always remember, there are no "FREE" apps...you pay with the personal data they collect from your usage. Some collect more than others.  If you object, you can always install apps for which you must pay that pledge not to collect and sell your data.  Whether or not you can truly trust them to adhere to that pledge is another issue. 

On 10/26/2019 at 11:31 PM, JHolmesJr said:

Try not to send any dick pics using LINE...at least with ur face in them...u never know.

Any free service is making money by collecting all ur data and selling it to someone.

Line is encrypted end to end.  No middlemen, not even someone at LINE, can see your conversations and media content.

 

Quote

When Letter Sealing is enabled, messages are encrypted on the client side before they are sent, and the content cannot be decrypted, even on LINE's servers.

 

https://linecorp.com/en/security/encryption_report

On 10/29/2019 at 9:22 PM, shdmn said:

Line is encrypted end to end.  No middlemen, not even someone at LINE, can see your conversations and media content.

 

 

https://linecorp.com/en/security/encryption_report

Thanks for the link. However worth noting that videos/pics etc do not currently have "Letter Sealing".

Quote

Other content that is exchanged, such as images, videos, files, and audio data, is encrypted with LEGY or https.

Quote

Presently, a limited number of message types are encrypted with Letter Sealing.

It is not clear to me if LEGY/HTTPS means they cannot view as only the Letter Sealing is described as "end to end encryption"

On 10/27/2019 at 12:31 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

"Background" in computer (programmer's) language is everything which is not in the foreground.

Not only in programmer's lauguage, it is in English.   LOL