Privacy Concerns in Android Devices

Abstract: On a phone that is running the Android operating system, it is possible to create a set of services that can be inserted into a functioning application that would collect a broad set of information. To demonstrate this, an application was written that would utilize a set of services that gathered accelerometer, barometer, GPS, Task, Accounts, Contacts, and Call Log data. The data would then be used to create a detailed overview of a user’s everyday activities. This data was collected using hidden services off of the phone and then transferred to a computer for analysis.  In this paper I demonstrate the lack of user control over what the application can perform, how  apps can run services unhindered, and how data from multiple sources can be combined to create a detailed profile of a user. This research is interesting to individuals who want to understand privacy on the Android devices. The audience  that is targeted by this paper are individuals in the security and privacy field. Privacy advocates can use the research to promote user traceability controls in mobile devices.