VIP Access | Why is there a data access permission prompt on Android while installing VIP Access?

Products

• VIP Service

Issue/Introduction

 

Resolution

This article explains why permissions are needed, what information is used on the device, and what information is sent to Symantec. This article is a general end-user understanding of the workings of the VIP Access application and is not a legal privacy statement. The users of the VIP Access application must accept the terms found here to install and register the VIP Access application: VIP Access End User License Agreement.

When you install VIP Access on a mobile device (in particular on Android OS Version 6+) you may see a prompt (see screenshot below) requesting certain device permissions to be granted, by the user, for proper usage of the application.

Also, make sure that notifications are allowed to be able to receive PUSH notifications.

Or

The VIP Access application requires "READ_PHONE_STATE" permission to fetch the device ID parameter. We are using this API to protect against the cloning of credentials.  

The Symantec VIP access application does not perform any of the following when installed on a mobile device:

• Log other applications activity running on the device
• Browse History on the device
• Browse Bookmarks on the device
• Access information that can determine whether a call is active and the remote number connected by a call. (i.e., what is the number calling in)
• Identify a remote number connected by a call to the phone or from the phone

Certain mobile platforms (in particular, Android devices) display a message indicating VIP Access needs access to a broad set of device and user information.  This may lead end-users to believe VIP Access may be accessing significant personal information. On the contrary, this is due to the lack of granular access controls on specific data collected. VIP Access does not collect or send any personally identifiable information from the device to Symantec for tracking purposes.

VIP Access uses device and user-specific information to secure the operational data on the mobile device. Where possible, this data is stored in the user’s profile on the device. This ensures your instance of the VIP Access application is secured to a specific device and cannot be duplicated on another device by a malicious agent.

The VIP Access client may send Symantec servers certain non-personally identifiable device-specific information which can help in secured provisioning of the VIP credential and help debug the VIP Access application in case of failures.