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iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

appleinsider.com

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Re: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

#191

Post by heavyset_go »

jzvxkxbxjx wrote: post #95
Polylactic_acid wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never owned an ios device in my life and strongly avoid them but this makes drift slightly over considering one. If apple allowed easily sideloading apps I would consider moving over.

“ If apple allowed easily sideloading apps I would consider moving over.” This was the reason I was an android guy until my wife told me to just get a phone that works. And you know what? Not letting you side load is a feature. When you see it like that, you care a lot less about your phone, and just appreciate that it works and that you can trust it as your more intimate possessions .

> And you know what? Not letting you side load is a feature.

Apps released under the GPL are banned from the App Store.

Re: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

#192

Post by LawnGnome »

pininja wrote: post #188
otachack wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but Google/Android has added fine grain GPS permissions in Android 10+ so we have the option to say "just track when using app" instead of "no" or "all the time". The problem, now, is rolling it out due to fragmentation.

This is great, and everything you’ve said is true. But the change in iOS13 is the regularly occurring pop up alert to prompt users to pick a lower permission for apps they don’t use often that are also tracking location. As others have mentioned, iOS has had the fine grain permission for a while. What’s new is the regular prompt.

Android 10 also has a similar prompt via notifications.

Re: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

#193

Post by goalieca »

derefr wrote: post #35
goalieca wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can choose the weather location manually. I have a list of cities and default to the one I live in. There’s absolutely no reason for the weather app to know my location down to the square metre.

When you choose a weather location manually, you actually get a less fine-grained report than the one you get from a GPS-resolved location. Basically, you get weather for "the closest weather station to the geographic centre of the named city" rather than "the closest weather station to you." This can be a big deal if your city has a large altitude range, such that going a few miles east means the difference between…

Coquitlam has a report. And the weather predictions are quantized to a certain cell size. And in coquitlam, why bother. It’s all just rain :P

Re: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

#194

Post by kccqzy »

freehunter wrote: post #24

On the other hand Apple has forced apps to use location data for purposes it should not be used for. Termius, for example, is my favorite iOS SSH app. But according to them, they can’t keep an SSH session running in the background unless they’re constantly tracking your location data. And somehow Apple approved this usage of location data. I don’t want to give Termius my location. I don’t want them tracking me everyw…

Prompt, another iOS SSH app, does the same thing. They even named the feature "connection keeper."

Re: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

#195

Post by goalieca »

Xylakant wrote: post #36
goalieca wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can choose the weather location manually. I have a list of cities and default to the one I live in. There’s absolutely no reason for the weather app to know my location down to the square metre.

There’s two apps in germany that broadcast warnings of either dangerous weather conditions or other incidents (major fire or similar). I can configure both with a fixed location, but this is really a case where I want the app to geolocate me and warn me about dangers around where I am currently.

We get dangerous ones like tornado sent as part of Emergency broadcast. Snowfall warnings and thunderstorms warning are sent without geolocation as well.

Re: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

#196

Post by goalieca »

leesalminen wrote: post #71
reaperducer wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not use a ZIP/postal code?

My ZIP code has a 4,000ft altitude change. Weather at the top is very different from the bottom.

you sir are a corner case.

Re: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

#197

Post by JohnTHaller »

aabhay wrote: post #182
wnevets wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Google is terrible, also Google is our default search engine on safari" - Apple

Google pays very dearly for that, btw

Which is another way of saying Apple values money over users being protected from something terrible.

Re: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

#198

Post by throwaway55554 »

ASalazarMX wrote: post #43
mikestew wrote: post #2

And it’s not just location data. I am amazed at how many apps want Bluetooth, too. Umm, there isn’t a single listed feature that indicates a need for BT, why are you asking? Oh, so you can use that as a tracking vector, too. Well, not only do you not get BT, you don’t get to live on my phone anymore, either. As for the advertisers, boo-hoo. You raised a finger (or two, depending on locale) to “do not track”, you thin…

Would the situation be different if Apple's biggest rival wasn't basically an advertising and data mining company? I wouldn't put it below Apple to profit from advertising control if Google didn't have an iron grip on it.

Considering Apple is a hardware company first, probably they would do the same thing. They wouldn’t rely on ads even if Google didn’t exist, therefore they wouldn't have to worry about the poor ad companies losing revenue.

Re: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

#199

Post by throwaway55554 »

freehunter wrote: post #24

On the other hand Apple has forced apps to use location data for purposes it should not be used for. Termius, for example, is my favorite iOS SSH app. But according to them, they can’t keep an SSH session running in the background unless they’re constantly tracking your location data. And somehow Apple approved this usage of location data. I don’t want to give Termius my location. I don’t want them tracking me everyw…

This is also how google photos works to upload photos in the background.

Apple needs to fix this.

Re: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

#200

Post by NoPicklez »

novok wrote: post #8

The alert is annoying although for apps you want to have always on location tracking although, like some life logging apps. (Arc, etc) It's like OS doesn't want to accept there are apps you want always on location tracking on and for it to stop annoying you about it.

I have to admit this annoyed me as well, they should change it to the notifications that just exist on your lock screen or as a banner.

It's started to frustrate me when I've just unlocked my phone to call or reply to someone and I get hit with a forced notification I must respond to about location tracking for an application that I absolutely do want location tracking set for.

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