Rumor: Google is giving Android users more app permission control

Google Inc. is planning to give its mobile users more control over what information applications can access, people familiar with the matter said. Google’s Android operating system is set to give users more detailed choices over what apps can access, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter remains private. That could include photos, contacts or location. An announcement of the change, which would put Android closer in line with Apple Inc.’s iOS, is expected for Google’s developer’s conference in San Francisco this month, one of the people said. The Mountain View, California-based company last year simplified how people are informed about what an app is accessing. Users decide whether the app can be downloaded. The new settings would give users the option to pick and choose what an app can access. Google is adding features to its mobile services as it seeks to attract users who increasingly are going online via their wireless gadgets. Android had 81 percent of the global smartphone market in 2014 while Apple’s iOS had 15 percent, according Gartner Inc.