I've been using the location tracking permission setting from day one. But still, making it more obvious and visible is a win for users who are less aware.
iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you
111–120 of 173 posts
Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you
#112It seems a bit extreme to offer apps one of two extremes: either my sub-metre location or no location at all. It seems the reasonable default for location sharing should be something like sharing the rough suburb that I'm in. This solves most use-cases such as showing closest store locations, delivery options, dating apps showing nearby matches, etc. It's only the occasional navigation app that needs to know exactly…
I specifically get directions “home” to a neighbor’s house a bit away. Once I know where I am, I kill Google Maps. I’m sure they could, if they wanted to badly enough, figure the whole thing out, but at least my profile has a certain amount of uncertainty (though what utility that has is probably debatable). I would love to be able to fuzz my location within a certain (randomized?) radius of my home for certain apps.…
> I would love to be able to fuzz my location within a certain (randomized?) radius of my home for certain apps
I'm not sure about the details of the implementation but with location you still want something reasonably accurate. So the random radius can't vary too wildly. After you collect enough data points couldn't you infer the real location from that circle?
Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
Android also has a terrible issue with not having good options on this front. You have to either not download the video game that needs open access to your contacts or micromanage some sketchy looking app that will help you “block” these sorts of things.
You can selectively deny permissible requests after the app is installed, but what irritates me is that granting access to my location allows the app to continually track me while it's running in the background (even if you never open the app). I've heard this will change in a future version of Android. I discovered this when I was scrolling through the DTEK app on my BlackBerry, which shows every time an app request…
> what irritates me is that granting access to my location allows the app to continually track me while it's running in the background
There's an app called Bouncer [1] that can auto-remove permissions as soon as an app is closed.
[1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samruston....
Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you
#114Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can selectively deny permissible requests after the app is installed, but what irritates me is that granting access to my location allows the app to continually track me while it's running in the background (even if you never open the app). I've heard this will change in a future version of Android. I discovered this when I was scrolling through the DTEK app on my BlackBerry, which shows every time an app request…
I don't think background location works anymore. My GPS logger I use for cycling gets killed after about 20 minutes if it isn't the currently open app when I turn off the screen.
Have you turned off "battery optimazation" for it? Otherwise do that sthan it should work.
But ye, there should be a "grant location this once" option.
Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you
#115Is it my idea or Apple is aggressively betting more and more in providing privacy to end users? Also it seems that the other side of the party (Android and free services) is moving fast towards the other end of the spectrum.
Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
AFAIK, you don't. An iPhone will work fine without signing in to any Apple service and you can opt out of all Apple data collection right in the device. I've set up several testing iDevices for work with no Apple accounts. The only thing you can't do without an Apple account is to use the Apple services like the App Store and iCloud and other paid services. I think even software updates can be done without an account…
What good is an iPhone without access to the App Store?
I agree with you. Of course, an iPhone can surf the web, make calls, take pictures, run the calculator, etc. However, lack of means to install apps without the App Store (besides sideloading), can render any phone pretty much useless.
Android has problems of its own though. Yes, you could install apps easily without access to the Play Store. But most Android apps rely upon Google's Play Services one way or another, so those apps wouldn't work properly, if at all.
Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you
#117I support Apple trying to turn privacy into a major marketing issue, but I think we’ve basically already learned that consumers just do not care.
The numbers show the company advancing privacy for consumers is reaping 90%+ of the profits in the business. While it’s not conclusive proof, I would say that the company might know something about what their customers want.
Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's a good feature but quite different, if the user is at home when they need to use the app that first time then it reveals where the user lives and possibly personally identifies them.
Your IP address when on WiFi almost certainly can be connected to a specific address by a databroker. That doesn't mean location shouldn't be limited in resolution, but there are other ways to get the same thing.
There is a difference between sharing your IP address with a data broker to maybe get your location (which may not even be possible with GDPR?), and having your exact GPS coordinates sent directly to your database.
Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
People bought lots of iPhones before the App Store existed. Before Cydia even existed. They were pretty good. You could send SMS messages, browse the web, take photos, and play it like an iPod even.
FWIW, before Cydia there was Installer, and before that something whose name I am not quite remembering (and don't care to look up rocky now)... and I am pretty sure it was running on over 50% of all those original iPhones, as people really found it strange to have a cell phone without even a single game (even Nokia candy bar phones had Snake). (But yeah: at least some people clearly still wanted the device. But that…
I think with the advent of web apps, the need for native iOS apps will decrease, at least in some areas. Fortunately, this happens to coincide with the advancements in internet speed and coverage.
In a few years: You want to play a game? Fine, let's bing it in Safari and play right there.
"there's an app for that" soon will become "there's a web app for that".
Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
I specifically get directions “home” to a neighbor’s house a bit away. Once I know where I am, I kill Google Maps. I’m sure they could, if they wanted to badly enough, figure the whole thing out, but at least my profile has a certain amount of uncertainty (though what utility that has is probably debatable). I would love to be able to fuzz my location within a certain (randomized?) radius of my home for certain apps.…
Just so you know, if you're using regular Google-infused Android, then depending on how you ‘kill’ Maps it may still be running in the background. And it may start in the background without you running the app. I'd also bet that Google's other apps transmit your location anyway―if only because other apps use it too―and that it's not necessarily reflected in the timeline in the web profile.
> And it may start in the background without you running the app.
Are you sure about this? If an app is terminated, can it still run itself without you running it?