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    Some users have noticed settings that let Meta analyze and retain phone photos

    (www.zdnet.com)
    530 points mdhb | 14 comments | 29 Aug 25 12:01 UTC | HN request time: 0.727s | source | bottom
    1. cj ◴[29 Aug 25 12:17 UTC] No.45063092[source]▶
    This should be a non-issue if you use Apple’s privacy settings to limit Facebook to only have access to the photos you want to use.

    I’d highly recommend never granting any app full access to your photos.

    replies(5): >>45063252 #>>45063465 #>>45063529 #>>45063820 #>>45065362 #
    2. loumf ◴[29 Aug 25 12:34 UTC] No.45063252[source]▶
    You should do this for apps even if you trust them.

    One issue with permissions is that they apply to the entire app, including any third-party dependencies. Lots of apps use libraries given to them by advertising services -- they notoriously exploit permissions given to the app.

    replies(1): >>45063413 #
    3. lloydatkinson ◴[29 Aug 25 12:49 UTC] No.45063413[source]▶
    WhatsApp used to (still might) default to saving all photos from any chat to your phone. This led to some very surprising and unwanted photos being saved to my iPhone gallery. What a stupid idea.
    replies(1): >>45064392 #
    4. abcd_f ◴[29 Aug 25 12:53 UTC] No.45063465[source]▶
    That's on newer iOS versions and, by extension, on newer Apple devices only though.
    replies(2): >>45063531 #>>45063553 #
    5. gessha ◴[29 Aug 25 12:58 UTC] No.45063529[source]▶
    Apple should improve the UI of this photo selection because it’s very cumbersome to scroll and select the same photos twice.
    replies(2): >>45063739 #>>45065922 #
    6. rimunroe ◴[29 Aug 25 12:59 UTC] No.45063531[source]▶
    Photo library permissions have been around since iOS 14. As long as you have an iPhone made in the last ten years you should be able to use it.
    7. bigDinosaur ◴[29 Aug 25 13:01 UTC] No.45063553[source]▶
    Apparently this functionality was released in iOS 14, which was supported by the iPhone 6S, released in 2015, so any phone in the past 10 years should have support for it. That seems reasonable enough.
    8. Clent ◴[29 Aug 25 13:17 UTC] No.45063739[source]▶
    Agreed. The feature set is in desperate need of the search option both on approved photos and when attempting to approve additional photos. Very often I have to go into the photos app, find the photo, make a mental record of approximately where it is in history and scroll scroll scroll. Obnoxious and cumbersome.
    replies(1): >>45064477 #
    9. afarah1 ◴[29 Aug 25 13:26 UTC] No.45063820[source]▶
    Android also has limited photos access nowadays.
    replies(1): >>45064997 #
    10. kergonath ◴[29 Aug 25 14:11 UTC] No.45064392{3}[source]▶
    I think it’s off by default and you can activate it separately for each discussion.
    11. jkubicek ◴[29 Aug 25 14:19 UTC] No.45064477{3}[source]▶
    What I really want is to create a special photo album for (Facebook/Instagram/Slack/etc.) and have it automatically gain access to whatever photos I put in there.
    12. jcomis ◴[29 Aug 25 14:57 UTC] No.45064997[source]▶
    maybe they changed it, but last time I checked I could not upload on instagram on Android with limited access. It required full access, plus camera/microphone in order to post.
    13. const_cast ◴[29 Aug 25 15:25 UTC] No.45065362[source]▶
    The problem is people have to actually do this, and it's cumbersome.

    The solution is just straight up banning apps from the app store which request full photos permissions but only need a picker.

    Whatsapp only needs a picker, it's not Google photos. Just make that part of the developer terms and start banning low hanging fruit and the apps will confirm in no time.

    14. subarctic ◴[29 Aug 25 16:09 UTC] No.45065922[source]▶
    I think they have because with chatgpt you click the photo icon and it uses the system photo picker to pick a photo. I guess Meta deliberately isn't implementing that