Android P to Block Apps from Secretly Using Camera and Microphone

According to journalists from XDA-Developers, the upcoming version of the Android operating system, currently known by its codename Android P, will introduce important security changes. Two commits (1, 2) have been discovered in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) that are designed to restrict background apps from accessing the device’s microphone or camera after being idle for a certain period.

The developers state that these measures are intended to improve the protection of users’ personal data. When granting an app access to the camera and microphone, users often don’t realize that the app could later use these features in the background, without their knowledge or consent.

Such restrictions have been needed for a long time, as malware creators have been exploiting microphones and cameras on mobile devices for years to secretly spy on their owners.

Android P is expected to become available for testing in May 2018, with the first builds likely to be released during the Google I/O conference. The official release of Android P is planned for around August or September 2018.