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Apple’s ad network gets ‘preferential access to users’ data’ vs Facebook, Google

(www.forbes.com)
113 points blinding-streak | 4 comments | 10 Aug 20 14:36 UTC | HN request time: 0.823s | source
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jeffbee ◴[10 Aug 20 15:06 UTC] No.24110022[source]▶
Apple exempts all their iOS software from their own privacy scaremongering. iOS never pops up a scary dialog warning you that Camera has accessed your location twice in the last week, even though Camera accesses your location every time you start it. There is a completely separate iOS privacy regime for Apple's own apps.
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acdha ◴[10 Aug 20 15:20 UTC] No.24110222[source]▶
Scaremongering isn't the right way to describe a real, well-documented ongoing concern. We have a long history of app developers trying to monetize their user's privacy, and that also explains why your comparison is inaccurate: if you buy an iOS device you are already trusting Apple. If you don't trust Camera to do nothing more than geotag your photos, you can't use iOS at all because every mechanism which would protect your privacy is built by the same company.

What the privacy measures are doing is giving the user the ability to review requests for access to your personal data by parties you aren't already trusting by virtue of owning the device.

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save_ferris ◴[10 Aug 20 15:24 UTC] No.24110280[source]▶
Don't you think it's at least a little hypocritical that they don't extend the same privacy configuration options to their apps that they mandate for 3rd party apps? Sure, I generally trust Apple more than a random 3rd party developer, but the fact that Apple doesn't trust me to set my own privacy configuration for the camera makes me trust them less.
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1. iji40 ◴[10 Aug 20 16:23 UTC] No.24110947[source]▶
No, I don’t, because they do. The entire thesis of the upstream argument is false. You’re arguing a falsehood. There are no special libraries to defeat privacy available to first party apps. They use the same exact methods externals do. The first party app documentation is literally the public site with very few exceptions.
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2. jeffbee ◴[10 Aug 20 16:25 UTC] No.24110979[source]▶
I think you're being a little obtuse. How do you address the fact that I can disable microphone for any 3rd-party voice memo application but I cannot disable it for Apple's "Voice Memos". This is a clear double-standard regardless of how fondly you feel about your own contributions to Apple Maps.
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3. macintux ◴[10 Aug 20 16:37 UTC] No.24111130[source]▶
I imagine Apple is making the assumption that the only reason to run Voice Memos is to use the microphone, but that’s clearly not the case. I agree with the sibling comment, file a bug.
4. zepto ◴[10 Aug 20 18:40 UTC] No.24112545[source]▶
You make the choice when you buy the app.

When you buy an iPhone, you are buying all of the Apps Apple supplies with it.

You even have a return period to take it back if you don’t like the behavior.