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It's great tool for mass-surveillance. Since Apple has a database of all the apps the user has run on their device (but no worries, Google has the same). For y

by rvnx 6y ago

It's great tool for mass-surveillance. Since Apple has a database of all the apps the user has run on their device (but no worries, Google has the same). For your security ;)

tenebrisalietum 6y ago
So why mass-surveil Apple computer users this way? My understanding is the only thing exclusive to Apple systems is developing Apple apps. But anything related on a platform like iOS is already going to be public knowledge. Also the latest Mac hardware seems to go through great pains to make sure the primary storage device is both encrypted, unrecoverable if keys are unknown (T2 security chip), and non-removable (SSD soldered to board). So why would they make this back door for surveillance?
- dannyw 6y ago
  None of those measures you described counteract mass surveillance.
jmull 6y ago
> great tool for mass-surveillance It’s not really that great for mass-surveillance. It “phone’s home” only on first run. And it doesn’t look like it sends data about your identity, device or location. They can have your IP address but another mechanism would be needed to relate that to you. (I doubt they are logging the IP address anyway. The only purpose would be to surveil you, but if they wanted to do that they would surely use a more capable mechanism . That makes keeping the IP addresses a burden and risk.)
- yyyk 6y ago
  >It “phone’s home” only on first run. Do we know that? The cache may well have an expiration date. Does the cache stay after an OS upgrade? I suspect further research will discover it's not just 'first time'. >They can have your IP address but another mechanism would be needed to relate that to you.... if they wanted to do that they would surely use a more capable mechanism. The app profile would already tell a great deal. Once enough of these 'non-capable' surveillance mechanisms add up, you end up with a very capable surveillance mechanism.

by rvnx 6y ago

It's great tool for mass-surveillance. Since Apple has a database of all the apps the user has run on their device (but no worries, Google has the same). For your security ;)

tenebrisalietum 6y ago

So why mass-surveil Apple computer users this way? My understanding is the only thing exclusive to Apple systems is developing Apple apps. But anything related on a platform like iOS is already going to be public knowledge. Also the latest Mac hardware seems to go through great pains to make sure the primary storage device is both encrypted, unrecoverable if keys are unknown (T2 security chip), and non-removable (SSD soldered to board). So why would they make this back door for surveillance?

dannyw 6y ago
None of those measures you described counteract mass surveillance.

jmull 6y ago

> great tool for mass-surveillance It’s not really that great for mass-surveillance. It “phone’s home” only on first run. And it doesn’t look like it sends data about your identity, device or location. They can have your IP address but another mechanism would be needed to relate that to you. (I doubt they are logging the IP address anyway. The only purpose would be to surveil you, but if they wanted to do that they would surely use a more capable mechanism . That makes keeping the IP addresses a burden and risk.)

yyyk 6y ago
>It “phone’s home” only on first run. Do we know that? The cache may well have an expiration date. Does the cache stay after an OS upgrade? I suspect further research will discover it's not just 'first time'. >They can have your IP address but another mechanism would be needed to relate that to you.... if they wanted to do that they would surely use a more capable mechanism. The app profile would already tell a great deal. Once enough of these 'non-capable' surveillance mechanisms add up, you end up with a very capable surveillance mechanism.