Stuck in the Permissions With You: Developer & End-User Perspectives on App Permissions & Their Privacy Ramifications

Abstract

While the literature on permissions from the end-user perspective is rich, there is a lack of empirical research on why developers request permissions, their conceptualization of permissions, and how their perspectives compare with end-users' perspectives. Our study aims to address these gaps using a mixed-methods approach.Through interviews with 19 app developers and a survey of 309 Android and iOS end-users, we found that both groups shared similar concerns about unnecessary permissions breaking trust, damaging the app's reputation, and potentially allowing access to sensitive data. We also found that developer participants sometimes requested multiple permissions due to confusion about the scope of certain permissions or third-party library requirements. Additionally, most end-user participants believed they were responsible for granting a permission request, and it was their choice to do so, a belief shared by many developer participants. Our findings have implications for improving the permission ecosystem for both developers and end-users. CCS CONCEPTS• Security and privacy → Software and application security;Human and societal aspects of security and privacy; Usability in security and privacy; • Human-centered computing → Human computer interaction (HCI); HCI design and evaluation methods; • Software and its engineering;