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Modify their apps to not request microphone permission.

by keketi 9y ago

madeofpalk 9y ago
Facebook doesnt request microphone access on iOS. https://imgur.com/a/ifaiT https://imgur.com/a/ifaiT Edit: Actually, FB will ask for microphone permission if try to record a video. Based on every other app that records video also prompts for permission to record using the microphone, I'm lead to believe the microphone permission is required on iOS if you want to record video. FB Messenger does not prompt for Microphone until you record a video or voice memo.
- denzil_correa 9y ago
  > https://imgur.com/a/ifaiT https://imgur.com/a/ifaiT I can see "Messenger" and "Instagram" with access to microphone.
  - jonchang 9y ago
    Instagram can record video posts and Messenger can make video calls, both requiring microphone access. In either case the recording is obvious with a red bar for microphone access in the background, like all other iOS apps.
  - ggreer 9y ago
    Those apps have voice and video features, so it makes sense that they'd request microphone access. (And iOS lets you disable those specific features if you want.) iOS also shows an indicator if an app is using the microphone. This is true even for built-in Apple apps like Voice Memos. There's no way to surreptitiously record.
    - thisacctforreal 9y ago
      This indicator only shows while the app using the mic is in the background. The banner won’t show if the app using the mic is in the foreground.
tedunangst 9y ago
Apparently people think there's a secret backdoor that lets an iPhone app record audio without turning the status bar red. You could deny mic permission and people would still think it's the secret backdoor.
- user982 9y ago
  There was a backdoor that let the Uber iPhone app record the screen invisibly from the background that went unnoticed for years.
  - madeofpalk 9y ago
    Well no, Apple (in an unprecedented move), granted the Uber app the com.apple.private.allow-explicit-graphics-priority entitlement. "Apple gave us this permission because early versions of Apple Watch were unable to adequately handle the level of map rendering in the Uber app," an Uber representative, Melanie Ensign, told Business Insider. "Subsequent updates to Apple Watch and our app removed this dependency, and we're working with Apple to remove the API completely." Uber was doing other sneaky stuff to read the devices serial number (or other unique identifiers) and evade Apple's countermeasures, but that's seperate from this.
    - user982 9y ago
      What is the meaningful difference, in the context of tedunangst's post, between an entitlement that allows surreptitious recording of video and a backdoor that allows surreptitious recording of audio?
      - madeofpalk 9y ago
        Uber's entitlement was always 'public'. Facebook doesn't hold any private entitlements that would allow it to record audio in the background without notifying the user.
        9y ago

Modify their apps to not request microphone permission.

by keketi 9y ago

Modify their apps to not request microphone permission.

Facebook doesnt request microphone access on iOS. https://imgur.com/a/ifaiT https://imgur.com/a/ifaiT Edit: Actually, FB will ask for microphone permission if try to record a video. Based on every other app that records video also prompts for permission to record using the microphone, I'm lead to believe the microphone permission is required on iOS if you want to record video. FB Messenger does not prompt for Microphone until you record a video or voice memo.

denzil_correa 9y ago
> https://imgur.com/a/ifaiT https://imgur.com/a/ifaiT I can see "Messenger" and "Instagram" with access to microphone.
- jonchang 9y ago
  Instagram can record video posts and Messenger can make video calls, both requiring microphone access. In either case the recording is obvious with a red bar for microphone access in the background, like all other iOS apps.
- ggreer 9y ago
  Those apps have voice and video features, so it makes sense that they'd request microphone access. (And iOS lets you disable those specific features if you want.) iOS also shows an indicator if an app is using the microphone. This is true even for built-in Apple apps like Voice Memos. There's no way to surreptitiously record.
  - thisacctforreal 9y ago
    This indicator only shows while the app using the mic is in the background. The banner won’t show if the app using the mic is in the foreground.

tedunangst 9y ago

Apparently people think there's a secret backdoor that lets an iPhone app record audio without turning the status bar red. You could deny mic permission and people would still think it's the secret backdoor.

user982 9y ago
There was a backdoor that let the Uber iPhone app record the screen invisibly from the background that went unnoticed for years.
- madeofpalk 9y ago
  Well no, Apple (in an unprecedented move), granted the Uber app the com.apple.private.allow-explicit-graphics-priority entitlement. "Apple gave us this permission because early versions of Apple Watch were unable to adequately handle the level of map rendering in the Uber app," an Uber representative, Melanie Ensign, told Business Insider. "Subsequent updates to Apple Watch and our app removed this dependency, and we're working with Apple to remove the API completely." Uber was doing other sneaky stuff to read the devices serial number (or other unique identifiers) and evade Apple's countermeasures, but that's seperate from this.
  - user982 9y ago
    What is the meaningful difference, in the context of tedunangst's post, between an entitlement that allows surreptitious recording of video and a backdoor that allows surreptitious recording of audio?
    - madeofpalk 9y ago
      Uber's entitlement was always 'public'. Facebook doesn't hold any private entitlements that would allow it to record audio in the background without notifying the user.
      - 9y ago