[rsync]

I've never examined a permissions dump for android before, but I see:

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BLUETOOTH"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BLUETOOTH_ADMIN"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE"/>
 
    <uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.finsky.permission.BIND_GET_INSTALL_REFERRER_SERVICE"/>

... and I am surprised to not see carte blanche access to photos, contacts, SMS messages, etc.

Which is to say, the granted permissions seems surprisingly restrained...

[hailk]

Why would they need Bluetooth permission for?

[SlowRobotAhead]

Huh?

The contact tracing is 100% Bluetooth.

You post a beacon periodically, other people post beacons, everyone is listening for that UUID and records and instances of it. This is how the whole thing works.

GPS would be a privacy disaster, if it it did work for this. Random rotates beacons are a privacy issue if you don’t trust your phone mfg, which you should not, but as long as it’s an optional thing is O.K. in the way AppleGoogle are proposing.

[greglindahl]

That's how it can tell you were very close to someone -- all of the other tracking apps do it that way, too.

[hailk]

I'm not familiar with app engineering, but wouldn't the location access be enough for that?

[greglindahl]

It's not app engineering, it's a comparison of GPS accuracy (especially indoors) vs a bluetooth beacon. Beacons work great no matter where you go.

I'm currently on the 11th floor of a building. GPS accuracy in the vertical dimension is much worse than horizontal. A bluetooth beacon will tell you if I'm in the same room with someone else.

[vmception]

yes, this is standard affair permissions