EFF Criticizes Google For Removing 'Vital Privacy Feature' With Android 4.4.2

The new Android update disables a feature that allowed users to revoke permissions for installed apps

The Android 4.4.2 update that began to roll out Monday to Google's Nexus devices removed a feature that gave users fine-grained control over app permissions, prompting criticism from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

The removed feature was called App Ops and was introduced in Android 4.3. It provided an interface from where users could withdraw permissions they gave apps when installing them. Traditionally, Android users have had to choose between giving an app all permissions it requests or not use it.

The granular permission control provided by App Ops is something that privacy advocates have long requested, since many apps ask for more permissions than they need to provide their main functionality.