I would like to use a vendor's application to enable remote access to a security DVR from an Android phone. The app requires permission for "read phone status and identity". I'm not an Android developer, but that doesn't seem like an appropriate permission, since the application has nothing to do with the phone number or the phone operation. It would work equally well without any phone functionality.
I contacted the developers, and they say: "The application makes that request to get though the firewall on the phone. The program does not store or use that information. If you manual set permissions in the firewall then the program will need the permission."
Does that make sense to anybody? Is there a "firewall" in Android that is somehow related to phone state and identity?
Before I call BS on this response, I wanted to check here with experts just in case there is some obscure relationship.