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App suddenly crashing on startup due to FBSDKRestrictiveDataFilterManager.m

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Re: App suddenly crashing on startup due to FBSDKRestrictiveDataFilterManager.m

#141
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact that we as in industry and we as citizens of free nations do not end these operations, terminate their corporate charters and throw the responsible in jail is indicator #1 that freedom (not the GOP free-dumb) as we know it is in it's death rattle.

Why are people using the facebook sdk? What does it give them?

When we looked at it, we saw several reasons, all of which are dubious at best:

1. It is required for a "login with Facebook" feature, apparently. I'd presume this goes for other feautures that integrate with facebook, such as "invite from your friends" or "share on facebook(messenger)".

2. It gives access to metrics, when added to your own, greatly enrich your own data collection.

3. It is required when working with Facebook ads - though I would not know how this ties in with mobile apps: on web it is clearer (where you are required to host "the pixel" on your website in order to have ads on facebook link to that website.)

4. It is feature rich, so as a pure SDK, it offers neat utilities; though for each of these, there are better alternatives found in separate libs.

Re: App suddenly crashing on startup due to FBSDKRestrictiveDataFilterManager.m

#142
post #85
post #27

I use a non-Facebook login on Spotify and the app crashes right there. How is this even possible, even less acceptable from Spotify point of view?

even my bank app won’t open (Nubank)

What the hell does Nubank need the Facebook SDK for?

Re: App suddenly crashing on startup due to FBSDKRestrictiveDataFilterManager.m

#143
post #103
post #63

How is Apple not addressing this? This seems like a pretty glaring hole in their tightly controlled environment. If the SDK is injecting code, shouldn’t that be an explicit permission?

I mean what would they do?

An SDK that large must have an obvious signature. Block it.

Don't allow the files to install.

Block all communications.

Ban it completely except in the Facebook authored apps.

Q. E. D.

Re: App suddenly crashing on startup due to FBSDKRestrictiveDataFilterManager.m

#144
post #64

Waze, a google owned app for the past 4 years, crashes because of the FB app. WhatsApp, a Facebook owned app, will not give you read access to your own chat database - it’s encrypted. But they have an arrangement with Google where it’s will back up unencrypted to your Google account (though, Google won’t let you retrieve it ... only the WhatsApp app can) Everything about this duopoly, their cooperation and lack of co…

Yes, it's definitely time for some slightly enhanced armchair activism! Convert all active whatsapp contacts to signal? 80%? 50%? Same for Facebook messenger! It needs to be uncomfortable enough - if they want to communicate with us and are minimally tech savvy ("click link to install app") they have to switch to signal . That's it. I'm starting to send out messages over my morning coffee. Let's do this together: htt…

I’d rather keep using messenger than switch to signal. Nothing that requires my phone number, and even worse, uses it as primary identifier, is something I want to switch to (and no, obviously I don’t use Whatsapp either). I realize that in this mobile-centric world that makes me a grumpy old man, but for me, my E-Mail is the important ID.

Re: App suddenly crashing on startup due to FBSDKRestrictiveDataFilterManager.m

#145
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you do that? At OS level with a setting? Networking changes?

I use an app called AdBlock https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id691121579?pt=425087... It creates a local VPN that sets up a local filtering DNS. I just added the following domains to the block list: facebook.com fbcdn.com fbcdn.net fbsbx.com fb.com

I just created NextDNS config to block Facebook. Install app, use custom configuration with Configuration ID 22776a.

(or make your own, takes 30 seconds)

Re: App suddenly crashing on startup due to FBSDKRestrictiveDataFilterManager.m

#147
post #64

Waze, a google owned app for the past 4 years, crashes because of the FB app. WhatsApp, a Facebook owned app, will not give you read access to your own chat database - it’s encrypted. But they have an arrangement with Google where it’s will back up unencrypted to your Google account (though, Google won’t let you retrieve it ... only the WhatsApp app can) Everything about this duopoly, their cooperation and lack of co…

I'm pretty sure that's the same agreement that every developer has with Google just by writing an android app and using Google APIs. You can store data on Google Drive that isn't accessible from Google Drive and only that app can read or write it.

> I'm pretty sure that's the same agreement that every developer has with Google just by writing an android app and using Google APIs.

But why would WhatsApp store it unencrypted on Google Drive, and encrypted (without giving you any access to the key) on your own SD card or local backup? It makes no sense.

Except ... Google and Facebook have agreed that WhatsApp stores the database unencrypted, and in return Google doesn't count it against the user's quota. Everybody wins! Facebook get to have free backup for users, Google gets to see all user messages and metadata. And the user gets rid of this pesky privacy thing!

[0] https://faq.whatsapp.com/android/chats/about-google-drive-ba... - "WhatsApp backups no longer count against your Google Drive storage quota." and "Media and messages you back up aren't protected by WhatsApp end-to-end encryption while in Google Drive."

Re: App suddenly crashing on startup due to FBSDKRestrictiveDataFilterManager.m

#148
post #118
post #57

Seems to me like Apple needs to intervene here. Even ignoring the privacy concerns, this is unjustifiable.

Current position of Apple is if you're going to include the FBSDK Sign-In you have to include the Apple Sign-In button too. Removing FBSDK is also acceptable to Apple. So Apple have put out an incentive to their third party Devs while still giving some freedom.

Apple needs to promote a simple solution to switch your Spotify/whatever account from FB login to the privacy-focused Apple login.

Obviously it would require app developers to implement, but Apple has a lot of power here.

Re: App suddenly crashing on startup due to FBSDKRestrictiveDataFilterManager.m

#149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> WhatsApp, a Facebook owned app, will not give you read access to your own chat database - it’s encrypted. On android? On iOS you can get a tarball of all your chats.

I just had to check this; the Android app has "Request account info" and specifically mentions "which you can access or port to another app". As much as I'm happy to pile on Google, Facebook and WhatsApp, this appears to be untrue.

That is just what WhatsApp stores about you on their servers i.e. contacts and groups.

But you can export all chats one by one.

Re: App suddenly crashing on startup due to FBSDKRestrictiveDataFilterManager.m

#150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it's definitely time for some slightly enhanced armchair activism! Convert all active whatsapp contacts to signal? 80%? 50%? Same for Facebook messenger! It needs to be uncomfortable enough - if they want to communicate with us and are minimally tech savvy ("click link to install app") they have to switch to signal . That's it. I'm starting to send out messages over my morning coffee. Let's do this together: htt…

I've been converting people to signal for years, I've got everyone in my life to switch except for my parents and 2 coworkers.

I gave up after realizing that Signal will not deliver message for a couple of days and that message notification doesn't work. Why wasting personal credit on something that is clearly inferior from the usability point of view.

And after it started insisting on creating a PIN each time I start Signal, I finally deleted it from my phone.

You can forget about security if you can't get a seamless user experience.

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