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Apple's move against device-level ad-blocking came coincidentally soon after the news regarding Facebook using a non-FB branded VPN to gather user data. Walkin

Apple's move against device-level ad-blocking came coincidentally soon after the news regarding Facebook using a non-FB branded VPN to gather user data. Walking the line between the pro-privacy aspects of VPN ad blocking and the the very anti-privacy possibilities that such functionality enables isn't easy. There's nothing to stop any VPN from scary levels of metadata collection, but Apple did close the door to one way of promoting or selling these services. App devs hate hearing this, but I've always found it interesting that Apple doesn't try to take a cut of ad revenue that apps receive. And yet they insist on taking a cut of "tips" and pretty much any other revenue stream. I'm glad they don't because it would put them in an adversarial position with privacy. I guess they tried with iAds, but even that was going to be optional I believe.

refulgentis 8y ago
This isn't true :/ Easiest way to address the claims, let me know if you need a more detailed breakdown: Note Facebook's VPN is still available - they're just not allowed to advertise it blocks ads, which they never did in the first place.
Fnoord 8y ago
> There's nothing to stop any VPN from scary levels of metadata collection, but Apple did close the door to one way of promoting or selling these services. What I do now -though on Android- is using WireGuard as VPN to my home router which runs basically a Pi-Hole (and WireGuard). The benefits: 1) I get a system-wide adblocker on top of uBlock Origin. 2) My mobile provider cannot perform DPI (Though its owned by same company as my cable company. YMMV, plus it will work when you roam internationally. Heck, I can perform DPI on it via my router.) 3) When on a public WiFi (e.g. railway station) all my data is encrypted. 4) When I switch networks it automatically swaps connection. 5) Far less performance hit and battery usage than traditional VPNs such as OpenVPN. Home router also barely uses any Watt. Brilliant software, I can highly recommend. My only beef with it is that a full blown SDN such as ZeroTier is a lot easier to set up.
- yumraj 8y ago
  Which router are you using that runs wireguard?
  - Fnoord 8y ago
    I recently acquired an Edgerouter-Lite (EdgeOS / Linux MIPS), with a RPi (Raspbian / Linux ARM) behind it also running WireGuard/ZeroTier/Tor (WG in case I need more horsepower on the ER-L). WG works on OpenWRT as well, though ZT doesn't work on EdgeOS (there's an obscure Linux MIPS *.deb somewhere but the c++ lib is too out of date on EdgeOS). [1] OPNSense is in the works [2], and also runs ZT. If you're not afraid to build your own I can recommend PC-Engines APU2 + OPNSense [3]. For me it'd cost too much time/effort to build/maintain, YMMV. [1] https://www.wireguard.com/install/ https://www.wireguard.com/install/ [2] https://forum.opnsense.org/index.php?topic=8758.0 https://forum.opnsense.org/index.php?topic=8758.0 [3] http://www.pcengines.ch/apu2.htm http://www.pcengines.ch/apu2.htm
    - yumraj 8y ago
      Thanks. I have a similar setup, with Edgerouter X and rpi running pi-hole. I hadn't realized what Edge route can run wireguard, thanks. I've been thinking about running VPN on the rpi since pihole barely uses any cpu but have been procrastinating, might have to take a relook.

refulgentis 8y ago

This isn't true :/ Easiest way to address the claims, let me know if you need a more detailed breakdown: Note Facebook's VPN is still available - they're just not allowed to advertise it blocks ads, which they never did in the first place.

Fnoord 8y ago

> There's nothing to stop any VPN from scary levels of metadata collection, but Apple did close the door to one way of promoting or selling these services. What I do now -though on Android- is using WireGuard as VPN to my home router which runs basically a Pi-Hole (and WireGuard). The benefits: 1) I get a system-wide adblocker on top of uBlock Origin. 2) My mobile provider cannot perform DPI (Though its owned by same company as my cable company. YMMV, plus it will work when you roam internationally. Heck, I can perform DPI on it via my router.) 3) When on a public WiFi (e.g. railway station) all my data is encrypted. 4) When I switch networks it automatically swaps connection. 5) Far less performance hit and battery usage than traditional VPNs such as OpenVPN. Home router also barely uses any Watt. Brilliant software, I can highly recommend. My only beef with it is that a full blown SDN such as ZeroTier is a lot easier to set up.

yumraj 8y ago
Which router are you using that runs wireguard?
- Fnoord 8y ago
  I recently acquired an Edgerouter-Lite (EdgeOS / Linux MIPS), with a RPi (Raspbian / Linux ARM) behind it also running WireGuard/ZeroTier/Tor (WG in case I need more horsepower on the ER-L). WG works on OpenWRT as well, though ZT doesn't work on EdgeOS (there's an obscure Linux MIPS *.deb somewhere but the c++ lib is too out of date on EdgeOS). [1] OPNSense is in the works [2], and also runs ZT. If you're not afraid to build your own I can recommend PC-Engines APU2 + OPNSense [3]. For me it'd cost too much time/effort to build/maintain, YMMV. [1] https://www.wireguard.com/install/ https://www.wireguard.com/install/ [2] https://forum.opnsense.org/index.php?topic=8758.0 https://forum.opnsense.org/index.php?topic=8758.0 [3] http://www.pcengines.ch/apu2.htm http://www.pcengines.ch/apu2.htm
  - yumraj 8y ago
    Thanks. I have a similar setup, with Edgerouter X and rpi running pi-hole. I hadn't realized what Edge route can run wireguard, thanks. I've been thinking about running VPN on the rpi since pihole barely uses any cpu but have been procrastinating, might have to take a relook.