Confusion aside, the permission system as it is currently designed just does not work. In late February, the New York Times demonstrated an by building an app that was able to access photos stored on an Android phone and copy them to a remote server. To accomplish that, the app needed only permission to access the Internet.

According to Google, the problem stems from the fact that it originally developed the permission system to work with devices that stored photos on the removable memory card. Now that phones store photos on the built-in storage, Google's permission system no longer works as the company originally intended.

Though app permissions are by no means clear, you can look for a couple of red flags. Almost every app asks for access to the Internet (usually for ads), but very few should request permission to access your phone calls or your messages. A malicious app with permission to make calls or send messages can cost you big by dialing certain phone numbers or by sending out premium text messages without your knowledge. The only apps that should have access to your phone calls or text messages are and communication apps such as . If a game asks for permission to access your text messages, do not download it.

Some app developers will list what their programs use each permission for. The developer of the Any.Do task-managing app, for instance, has a FAQ page that . It's really helpful to be able to see why an app needs access to your contacts or hardware controls. If an app developer doesn't explain why it is requesting certain permissions, send the developer an email; the Google Play app gives you each developer's basic contact information, and you can drop the app creators a line in case you have any questions. If a developer doesn't respond, and you can't find anything more about the developer or the app online, avoid them. It's better to forgo an app than to install it only to find out that it has taken over your phone.