3 ms·

The perhaps that needs to change, ASAP. Apps shouldn't really have access to anything beyond the very basics without explicit permission.

by Nursie 6y ago

izacus 6y ago
> Apps shouldn't really have access to anything beyond the very basics without explicit permission. Now you just need to have everyone agree on what the "basics" are.
- Nursie 6y ago
  CPU, memory, screen, sound, touchscreen input. Want sensors, system info, literally anything else? Ask.
  - ars 6y ago
    That will just turn into another cookie prompt where everyone just clicks the thing that will make the annoying popup go away.
    - Nursie 6y ago
      Then we'll need more legislative measures to stop the intrusive behaviour.
    - tinus_hn 6y ago
      No, because at least on iOS the pop-up has a button for allow and a button for deny and the app must function wether you allow or deny, it can only disable related functionality.
    - sthnblllII 6y ago
      Exactly, which is why Apple should realize a messaging app doesn't need to be sending high-accuracy accelerometer data off device and ban apps that do. Ultimately GDPR laws need to make this illegal. The scary thing is that giants like Google and Facebook are doing this tracking with the kind of resources only perviously available to governments.
ogre_codes 6y ago
At some point, the experience becomes an endless pile of permissions dialogs. We already see this and see complaints about it. I think this article is a bit alarmist and overstates the issue. So long as much of this data is limited to foreground apps and background activities are strictly limited, the issue is not nearly as bad as they suggest and as I mentioned previously, I find it unlikely some of the specific abuses they mention are even likely to happen.
- Nursie 6y ago
  > At some point, the experience becomes an endless pile of permissions dialogs. Surely just one set at install of the app? My coffee loyalty app wants access to my contacts and a bunch of sensors? Nope. I got the impression the article was about a product that alreadh exists!
  - sthnblllII 6y ago
    No, I think Apple needs to start auditing apps and deciding for users if these permissions are reasonable and banning apps that use sensor data maliciously like this. People choose Apple products because they want apple to make these reasonable privacy choices on their behalf.
  - diebeforei485 6y ago
    At install is really not an ideal experience for most apps, unless the feature is crucial to the functioning of the app (eg. camera access for a camera app). The right time to ask for permission is when it's used. For example in iOS 14, Signal asks permission to access devices on my local network to sync over Wi-Fi at first launch. I don't want sync over Wi-Fi, so I said no, but many people might just say yes in order to start using the app.

The perhaps that needs to change, ASAP. Apps shouldn't really have access to anything beyond the very basics without explicit permission.

by Nursie 6y ago

The perhaps that needs to change, ASAP. Apps shouldn't really have access to anything beyond the very basics without explicit permission.

izacus 6y ago

> Apps shouldn't really have access to anything beyond the very basics without explicit permission. Now you just need to have everyone agree on what the "basics" are.

Nursie 6y ago
CPU, memory, screen, sound, touchscreen input. Want sensors, system info, literally anything else? Ask.
- ars 6y ago
  That will just turn into another cookie prompt where everyone just clicks the thing that will make the annoying popup go away.
  - Nursie 6y ago
    Then we'll need more legislative measures to stop the intrusive behaviour.
  - tinus_hn 6y ago
    No, because at least on iOS the pop-up has a button for allow and a button for deny and the app must function wether you allow or deny, it can only disable related functionality.
  - sthnblllII 6y ago
    Exactly, which is why Apple should realize a messaging app doesn't need to be sending high-accuracy accelerometer data off device and ban apps that do. Ultimately GDPR laws need to make this illegal. The scary thing is that giants like Google and Facebook are doing this tracking with the kind of resources only perviously available to governments.

ogre_codes 6y ago

At some point, the experience becomes an endless pile of permissions dialogs. We already see this and see complaints about it. I think this article is a bit alarmist and overstates the issue. So long as much of this data is limited to foreground apps and background activities are strictly limited, the issue is not nearly as bad as they suggest and as I mentioned previously, I find it unlikely some of the specific abuses they mention are even likely to happen.

Nursie 6y ago
> At some point, the experience becomes an endless pile of permissions dialogs. Surely just one set at install of the app? My coffee loyalty app wants access to my contacts and a bunch of sensors? Nope. I got the impression the article was about a product that alreadh exists!
- sthnblllII 6y ago
  No, I think Apple needs to start auditing apps and deciding for users if these permissions are reasonable and banning apps that use sensor data maliciously like this. People choose Apple products because they want apple to make these reasonable privacy choices on their behalf.
- diebeforei485 6y ago
  At install is really not an ideal experience for most apps, unless the feature is crucial to the functioning of the app (eg. camera access for a camera app). The right time to ask for permission is when it's used. For example in iOS 14, Signal asks permission to access devices on my local network to sync over Wi-Fi at first launch. I don't want sync over Wi-Fi, so I said no, but many people might just say yes in order to start using the app.