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Is there a service/company/app that vets Android apps and reports on their "trustworthiness"?

I recently moved from Blackberry to a Galaxy S2 which does not have an LED indicator light. I searched the market and found an app that is highly rated and uses the screen to mimic this functionality. This app requires an abundance of permissions that I don't see a need for. I don't want to compromise my data if

I understand that the granularity of permission-granting leaves a lot to be desired, so I'm hoping there's a service that rates whether these apps are "good actors"...

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The abundance of permissions is probably because the app is not providing a display for the existing Android notifications (because it can't), but looking at all the data sources itself (e.g. checking if you have a new SMS) and deciding to display its own notifications. (I'm not saying you should trust the app — I wouldn't — but that it quite possibly does “need” those permissions.) – Kevin Reid Dec 19 '11 at 4:53

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Have a look on http://www.appoozle.com/ They provide an app and a web information service that allows publishers to justify the permissions their apps require.

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You'd be lucky to find the app you want on there: it doesn't seem to be updated very often, and most apps it does list only give you the same information you already get on Google Play. – Dan Hulme May 2 at 16:00
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While it doesn't rate the app, Privacy Inspector can scan the app after you've downloaded it and provide a detailed report.

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There's another service run by a forensics company called viaForensics: appWatchdog. Apps have a hard time there getting certified for being "absolutely secure" -- so don't get scared if you see only few green check marks, check the details as well; most times a yellow mark is still fine at least for private users.

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