Android P looks to stop apps from observing your network activity

Android P is slated to arrive in October with will be a host of tweaks that will make Android an even more robust operating system. A new tweak that has just been discovered is that the OS will start blocking apps from accessing a device’s network activity.

Android apps can currently monitor the network a device is on, without having to ask for user permission. Apps can’t detect the type of content that’s accessed over a network, but they are able to get information about the server that’s being accessed.

XDA Developers found a commit in the Android Open Source Project that will “start the process of locking down proc/net.” Previously this code wasn’t there. XDA Developers also states that since Android P will follow a new version of SELinux rules, it will allow some designated VPN apps to get access to this data, but not a majority of apps.

This update will likely start rolling out to users in a future Android P Developer Preview. So users who are really worried about the privacy implications of their data being tracked, should keep an eye on the next few developer updates.

Source: XDA Developers