Did OP give this permission? I'm not defending Path (at all!), just trying to get full details. I've in fact accidentally given address book permission to apps by tapping too fast.
Update: OP is using Android, which is different.
Yup, here’s an article about it, from February of last year: http://allthingsd.com/20120215/apple-app-access-to-contact-d...
However, according to Apple, even before iOS6 came along (which asks permission whenever an app requests access to Contacts) it had already been against Apple’s dev guidelines to use Contacts info without users’ permission:
“You and Your Applications may not collect user or device data without prior user consent, and then only to provide a service or function that is directly relevant to the use of the Application, or to serve advertising. You may not use analytics software in Your Application to collect and send device data to a third party.”
On iOS, for reference, one could install Path but then deny it notification permission (or limit what types of notifications at a very granular level), allow/deny access to photos, and allow/deny access to the address book. You could deny all of those and still use the app just fine, though obviously without the ability to upload things from your photo roll.