The Boiling Frog Timeline

A new app asks for permissions over 12 months. Each request looks reasonable. See how much accumulates.

You just downloaded MapMe - a free navigation and local discovery app. Over the next 12 months, it will ask for more. Decide at each step: Allow or Deny.
Permissions granted so far
None yet

What most people do

Grant all 7 permissions 68% of users
Stop after location (month 1) 12% of users
Stop at contacts (month 4) 11% of users
Stop at identity verify (month 10) 9% of users

Source: App Permissions Behaviour Study, Privacy International, 2024

How boundary erosion works

Each request was framed as a feature. No single step felt major. Together they built a complete profile: location, contacts, microphone, camera, and identity. The accumulation is the point.