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I would be interested to know how many of the 450 apps actually needed your location data to do their job. If the app is an exercise app with a map, its a featu

I would be interested to know how many of the 450 apps actually needed your location data to do their job. If the app is an exercise app with a map, its a feature that it knows where I am. If it's a messenger app with a feature that can share your location, then its expected that it will have access to the API's.

iscrewyou 6y ago
https://github.com/expressvpn/xoth_location_tracker_investigation/blob/main/all_apps.md https://github.com/expressvpn/xoth_location_tracker_investig...
SulfurHexaFluri 6y ago
At least one of the apps listed (Telegram) uses location when you choose to like sharing your location with people and I have never seen it request location otherwise. Puts the rest of the data in to question for me.
- 29083011397778 6y ago
  From TFA (emphasis mine) > These include apps masquerading as popular services such as Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat. Note they are masquerading as the listed messengers, not the actual messengers themselves
foepys 6y ago
If you got a JBL speaker, you cannot upgrade its firmware without the app. The app requires location access, otherwise it will not work at all. There is no reason for location access because even if you grant access, it doesn't feature anything like a map or compass. It solely uses the location for marketing. Also, you cannot just search for a new firmware update and uninstall the app immediately afterwards. You have to wait a few days for it to notify you so they can track you for a longer period of time.
- floatingatoll 6y ago
  That's a violation of the Apple app store terms of service, but I have never yet successfully reported such a violation to Apple. Their tech support doesn't understand what to do with such reports and after many back-and-forth attempts I've just given up trying for now. Apple employees, if you're reading this, it's an obvious violation of ASRG 5.1.1 (iv) Access and it's probably a violation of ASRG 3.1.4 Hardware Specific Content — but as a mere developer, there's nowhere for me to report that for internal investigation. Perhaps one of you can do better.
  - malinens 6y ago
    They have different rules for big companies and for small companies. All big companies are given a pass on shady stuff
  - peteretep 6y ago
    Apple employees, if you're reading this, I would _LOVE_ a way to flag an app notification as spam. I use a few apps that I really need notifications on for (delivery apps, and the like) but that insist on spamming me. Pretty sure this is a ToS violation, but I'm entirely unsure how to do anything about this.
  - baybal2 6y ago
    > That's a violation of the Apple app store terms of service Like it is of hundreds of other high profile apps... other than facebook.
- Flow 6y ago
  On iOS the "JBL Portable" app(a recent new name for their app JBL Connect) does not require any access to location. Are you talking about the Android app?
- joking 6y ago
  bluetooth and location permissions are many times together, because if you can scan the device macs you are able to use it to locate the user ( with bluetooth beacons for example).
arbol 6y ago
There should be finer grained location permissions like "this app requires access to your location when you're writing a message" (messenger). I think apps can currently check your location whenever they're open and potentially when they're not unless you restrict background processes.
- cudgy 6y ago
  Not sure how that could be implemented without creating a domain specific set of actions like defined Intents in android or Siri intents on iOS. In this case, apps would be required to use a messaging intent that provides location information once a message is initiated by a user. But how to be sure user initiated the message?

iscrewyou 6y ago

https://github.com/expressvpn/xoth_location_tracker_investigation/blob/main/all_apps.md https://github.com/expressvpn/xoth_location_tracker_investig...

SulfurHexaFluri 6y ago

At least one of the apps listed (Telegram) uses location when you choose to like sharing your location with people and I have never seen it request location otherwise. Puts the rest of the data in to question for me.

29083011397778 6y ago
From TFA (emphasis mine) > These include apps masquerading as popular services such as Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat. Note they are masquerading as the listed messengers, not the actual messengers themselves

foepys 6y ago

If you got a JBL speaker, you cannot upgrade its firmware without the app. The app requires location access, otherwise it will not work at all. There is no reason for location access because even if you grant access, it doesn't feature anything like a map or compass. It solely uses the location for marketing. Also, you cannot just search for a new firmware update and uninstall the app immediately afterwards. You have to wait a few days for it to notify you so they can track you for a longer period of time.

floatingatoll 6y ago
That's a violation of the Apple app store terms of service, but I have never yet successfully reported such a violation to Apple. Their tech support doesn't understand what to do with such reports and after many back-and-forth attempts I've just given up trying for now. Apple employees, if you're reading this, it's an obvious violation of ASRG 5.1.1 (iv) Access and it's probably a violation of ASRG 3.1.4 Hardware Specific Content — but as a mere developer, there's nowhere for me to report that for internal investigation. Perhaps one of you can do better.
- malinens 6y ago
  They have different rules for big companies and for small companies. All big companies are given a pass on shady stuff
- peteretep 6y ago
  Apple employees, if you're reading this, I would _LOVE_ a way to flag an app notification as spam. I use a few apps that I really need notifications on for (delivery apps, and the like) but that insist on spamming me. Pretty sure this is a ToS violation, but I'm entirely unsure how to do anything about this.
- baybal2 6y ago
  > That's a violation of the Apple app store terms of service Like it is of hundreds of other high profile apps... other than facebook.
Flow 6y ago
On iOS the "JBL Portable" app(a recent new name for their app JBL Connect) does not require any access to location. Are you talking about the Android app?
joking 6y ago
bluetooth and location permissions are many times together, because if you can scan the device macs you are able to use it to locate the user ( with bluetooth beacons for example).

arbol 6y ago

There should be finer grained location permissions like "this app requires access to your location when you're writing a message" (messenger). I think apps can currently check your location whenever they're open and potentially when they're not unless you restrict background processes.

cudgy 6y ago
Not sure how that could be implemented without creating a domain specific set of actions like defined Intents in android or Siri intents on iOS. In this case, apps would be required to use a messaging intent that provides location information once a message is initiated by a user. But how to be sure user initiated the message?