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Evernote permissions - "Big Brother"?


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I downloaded Evernote and was on my way!! I did the don't-read-but-accept routine on the permissions.

 

I was so excited about the app's potential that I encouraged my wife to download. She is a different variety, and reads the small print. What she read to me scared the bejeebers out of us.

 

Some examples: Evernote can take pictures, and record audio "without your confirmation."

 

The rest are pretty scary, too.

 

If you are unfamiliar with all this, make like you are going to start a new Evernote account, start the download process up to the "Accept Permissions"

 

Should we be as scared as we are?

 

Thanks Randy 

 

I'm down to three more posts for the day, in case this should become a hot topic, I may have to shut up until tomorrow.

 

Thank

Randy

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I downloaded Evernote and was on my way!! I did the don't-read-but-accept routine on the permissions.

 

I was so excited about the app's potential that I encouraged my wife to download. She is a different variety, and reads the small print. What she read to me scared the bejeebers out of us.

 

Some examples: Evernote can take pictures, and record audio "without your confirmation."

 

The rest are pretty scary, too.

 

If you are unfamiliar with all this, make like you are going to start a new Evernote account, start the download process up to the "Accept Permissions"

 

Should we be as scared as we are?

 

Thanks Randy 

 

I'm down to three more posts for the day, in case this should become a hot topic, I may have to shut up until tomorrow.

 

Thank

Randy

 

Hi. Good points about the permissions. Evernote is pretty trustworthy (in my opinion) as far as companies go. More importantly, you tend to need huge amounts of access just to be able to pull photos from the camera roll and put them into your account. The permissions are worded in a scary way (for all apps), and because Evernote has so many functions, it tends to have even more scary sounding language. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it, but if you have a specific passage or something, we might want to talk about that.

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Pick any app by any other respected developer,  and you'll find that they all have pretty similar permissions needs.  Mobile OS's tend to have boilerplate areas of permissions with very wide limits,  but even if an app doesn't need or use 99% of a given definition,  it has to disclose "we need permission to...".  As Grumpy has already said, Evernote has always seemed a reputable company,  and if you want to use the software,  you have to agree the permissions.  Total respect if you decide the benefit isn't worth the cost - but I don't know what anyone can offer you in the way of reassurance.  Would you want a version of Evernote that doesn't use a camera?  That doesn't record sound?  You should know that all mobile devices leak all sorts information about you from buying habits to location,  just from carrying them around.  The connected society comes with a spotlight - your choice whether you stand in it.

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I'd like to see a better response as well, but until then, here are a couple links that might offer a bit of comfort.

 

Evernote terms of service

http://evernote.com/legal/tos.php

3rd party app permissions

http://evernote.com/privacy/3rd_party_app_permissions.php

Thanks Jbenson2, but the second link, in particular, feels like I will have no control over my information or privacy; that my information will disappear at will, and me to, maybe, if they don't like what I am up to. This makes me sad. I was so looking forward to using this app.

 

But Thanks

Randy

 

p.s. I encourage all of you to read the second link.

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? The "second link" above says basically that if you specifically authorise Luthor Industries to access your Evernote account,  Lex Luthor would be able to do anything he likes with your data.  If you discover a problem you can instantly disconnect Lex from your data so it remains safe.  Evernote is looking after your interests,  not playing fast and loose with your data!

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I'd like to see a better response as well, but until then, here are a couple links that might offer a bit of comfort.

 

Evernote terms of service

http://evernote.com/legal/tos.php

3rd party app permissions

http://evernote.com/privacy/3rd_party_app_permissions.php

Thanks Jbenson2, but the second link, in particular, feels like I will have no control over my information or privacy; that my information will disappear at will, and me to, maybe, if they don't like what I am up to. This makes me sad. I was so looking forward to using this app.

 

But Thanks

Randy

 

p.s. I encourage all of you to read the second link.

 

 

The second link is interesting, of course, but irrelevant. These are third-party application permissions ("This document will help you understand how such Third Party Applications access your Evernote account."). If I understand you correctly, you were asking about permissions associated with the Evernote app. Evernote is not a third party, in this case, but the service into which you are putting your data. If the third-party permissions make you nervous, don't use those companies.

 

If you have any specific concerns about Evernote's conditions, please let us know. As I mentioned above, this is standard practice with Android and iOS applications. They all sound frightening, and they all mean very little (in my opinion). This is an old problem going back several years now. Have you ever read the terms and conditions for Apple, Gmail, etc.? Yikes! A more relevant link would be this one, I think.

http://www.androidcentral.com/look-application-permissions

 

For those of you who do care about this stuff (I do, despite what it may appear like above, but I accept that this is what we are stuck with right now), I urge you to watch Terms and Conditions May Apply. I think they do a good job of explaining the state of the industry, and I think you will agree that it isn't "Evernote" that is the issue here, but the legal system that requires such things.

http://tacma.net

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I took a course in college a few years ago about how we are giving our lives away to a "big brother-ish" future. Many of you will contradict, I am sure. Or, have accepted it. So have I. I have mobile devices, wi-fi, computers, you name it. Lots of apps.

 

What I don't get is why I can't say "No, I dont want any of these outfits looking at my life and playing with my things in my--well, ok, Evernote's--sandbox.

 

I understand cookies and ad tracking, and all of the malicious things that the "bad" geeks are doing.

 

This is another animal to me. Give me carte blanche to say I do not want any outsiders looking at my stuff, or messing with it, and I would jump on this. I am very sad that I cannot feel safe using this program. I have nothing to hide. I lead a boring life. But what is mine, I like to keep mine.

 

Back to the naive part. I understand that other third parties collect METADATA: Fine. I, personally, don't, however, know of other apps dipping into my stuff, and actually connecting it to my personal info. Apps messing with, if they wish, until I catch them, and say No You can't do that. And, I do not like having to opt out over and over. Opt out once, and I would feel swell about this.

 

I am very disappointed that I can't comfortably use a program that could have changed my whole lifestyle. I am a writer, historian and interested in lots of stuff. It's just a shame that I have to give this up.

 

I can't get an understanding that would make me feel comfortable in this written forum.

 

Thank you

Randy

 

p.s. I suppose this is not done on these forums. Moderator: please cut only this p.s.if it is inappropriate. If there is anyone who lives in the Twin Cities, Mn area and is willing to coffee with me and my wife 66 and 68 and harmless, I would welcome it. Maybe someone explaining in person would  me understand.

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I took a course in college a few years ago about how we are giving our lives away to a "big brother-ish" future. Many of you will contradict, I am sure. Or, have accepted it. So have I. I have mobile devices, wi-fi, computers, you name it. Lots of apps.

What I don't get is why I can't say "No, I dont want any of these outfits looking at my life and playing with my things in my--well, ok, Evernote's--sandbox.

I understand cookies and ad tracking, and all of the malicious things that the "bad" geeks are doing.

This is another animal to me. Give me carte blanche to say I do not want any outsiders looking at my stuff, or messing with it, and I would jump on this. I am very sad that I cannot feel safe using this program. I have nothing to hide. I lead a boring life. But what is mine, I like to keep mine.

Back to the naive part. I understand that other third parties collect METADATA: Fine. I, personally, don't, however, know of other apps dipping into my stuff, and actually connecting it to my personal info. Apps messing with, if they wish, until I catch them, and say No You can't do that. And, I do not like having to opt out over and over. Opt out once, and I would feel swell about this.

I am very disappointed that I can't comfortably use a program that could have changed my whole lifestyle. I am a writer, historian and interested in lots of stuff. It's just a shame that I have to give this up.

I can't get an understanding that would make me feel comfortable in this written forum.

Thank you

Randy

p.s. I suppose this is not done on these forums. Moderator: please cut only this p.s.if it is inappropriate. If there is anyone who lives in the Twin Cities, Mn area and is willing to coffee with me and my wife 66 and 68 and harmless, I would welcome it. Maybe someone explaining in person would me understand.

Hi. If you and your wife are ever in Iowa (just a few hours away), I'd love to meet for coffee and help out :)

As I understand it, you are asking about the Evernote app, not a third party. As long as you are willing to trust Evernote with your data then that is the end of the story. They do not mine your data. They do not read it. They do not sell it. They do not share it.

If you use another service that connects with Evernote, then you'll have to share access with them. Like you, I am unwilling to do this, and nothing is connected to my main account (I have one for me and one for sharing with people).

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Yes, I think there is some misunderstanding here about what is meant by 'third parties'. 

 

Third parties specifically refers to other applications/developers/services that have been designed to work in conjunction with Evernote, and which you choose to use and give explicit consent to access your data so they can actually do their job. 

 

Several examples would be (There are many, many others, though):

Gneo for iOS - A reminders/productivity application that synchronizes with Evernote. 

FastEver for iOS - A fast note-taking utility for quickly adding notes to Evernote

KustomNote for desktop/iOS - A note template creating service that allows custom, rich, note templates for evernote

Postach.io (Desktop/web) - A blogging platform powered by your Evernote notes. 

 

Those four applications/services are not run by Evernote, they are run by separate, passionate developers who want to expand what is possible with Evernote. They are applications or services that a user must EXPLICITLY seek out. In order to perform the services that the user who seeks them out desires, they need access to your data, and depending on the service, that access might be fairly broad:

 

Gneo needs to be able to CREATE notebooks and notes. It also needs to be able to MODIFY those notes. It also must be able to READ those notes. It also must DELETE notes. It would appear pretty scary when it says "Gneo wants to create, modify, and delete notebooks and notes in your account" but this is what is required in order to allow Gneo to function. 

Postach.io needs to be able to CREATE notebookes (but NOT notes), and READ notes. 

 

The beauty is that

1) You must explicitly grant permission to these applications. That is, you need to decide: 1) "I want to use Gneo" | 2) [download Gneo] | 3) [Open Gneo] | 4) Grant Permission

2) These permission automatically EXPIRE after 1 year and need to be renewed. If you stop using a service but do not revoke permissions, they are revoked after 1 year anyway, so they are not perpetual.

3) You have control and can revoke access immediately ANY TIME if you chose to stop using a service. 

 

Now, NONE of this applies at all if you have not intentionally and explicitly sought out any of these third party services. That "second link" is only ever applicable if you explicitly seek out a third party. 

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