Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Apple: Apps should not require users to opt into tracking to access content

developer.apple.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 274 posts

Re: Apple: Apps should not require users to opt into tracking to access content

#11

Post by jmull »

JadeNB wrote: post #6
Nextgrid wrote: post #3

Full text of the clause: > 3.2.2 Unacceptable > (vi) Apps should allow a user to get what they’ve paid for without performing additional tasks, such as posting on social media, uploading contacts, checking in to the app a certain number of times, etc. Apps should not require users to rate the app, review the app, watch videos, download other apps, tap on advertisements, enable tracking, or take other similar actions…

Is this in the usual technical sense of MUST / SHOULD / MAY, or does 'should not' here actually mean 'may not' (as suggested by the category being 'Unacceptable', rather than 'Discouraged')? (Several other entries are phrased much less ambiguously: "Unacceptable: (i) Creating an interface …", and (ix) is explicitly "Apps must not …" (emphasis mine).)

I'm just about 100% sure Apple uses "should" and "should not" in the absolute sense, not the way RFC's define it.

Re: Apple: Apps should not require users to opt into tracking to access content

#13

Post by cmeacham98 »

ffpip wrote: post #10

Such things are never going to come to Android are they? Every preinstalled app abuses every permission possible

Pre-installed apps where you can't disable them or revoke their permissions are a cancer on the Android ecosystem. Especially fun when they have permissions like "access the filesystem" or "obtain device location" or "send notifications".

Re: Apple: Apps should not require users to opt into tracking to access content

#15

Post by electriclove »

Nextgrid wrote: post #3

Full text of the clause: > 3.2.2 Unacceptable > (vi) Apps should allow a user to get what they’ve paid for without performing additional tasks, such as posting on social media, uploading contacts, checking in to the app a certain number of times, etc. Apps should not require users to rate the app, review the app, watch videos, download other apps, tap on advertisements, enable tracking, or take other similar actions…

This sounds.. great!

Re: Apple: Apps should not require users to opt into tracking to access content

#17

Post by ggrrhh_ta »

Nextgrid wrote: post #3

Full text of the clause: > 3.2.2 Unacceptable > (vi) Apps should allow a user to get what they’ve paid for without performing additional tasks, such as posting on social media, uploading contacts, checking in to the app a certain number of times, etc. Apps should not require users to rate the app, review the app, watch videos, download other apps, tap on advertisements, enable tracking, or take other similar actions…

Doesn't youtube, with its ads, violate this policy?

Re: Apple: Apps should not require users to opt into tracking to access content

#18

Post by scarface74 »

cblconfederate wrote: post #12

Thats a good thing. Can Apple guarantee that they themselves are not tracking their users' app preferences/behaviour either?

Of course they can’t guarantee it. The best they could do is give users the ability to block all internet access in an app. Currently you can only block an app from using cellular data.

Re: Apple: Apps should not require users to opt into tracking to access content

#19

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

reaperducer wrote: post #8
JadeNB wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this in the usual technical sense of MUST / SHOULD / MAY, or does 'should not' here actually mean 'may not' (as suggested by the category being 'Unacceptable', rather than 'Discouraged')? (Several other entries are phrased much less ambiguously: "Unacceptable: (i) Creating an interface …", and (ix) is explicitly "Apps must not …" (emphasis mine).)

Apple's guidelines are usually written in soft language to give it wiggle room in case an unexpected scenario arises. Practically-speaking, if Apple decides an app has violated this provision, the app is toast. No app company on the planet has enough lawyers to challenge Apple on such nit-pickery.

This has been my experience, as well.

I once had to delete an entire bug fix version, and turn it into a feature version, because I "shouldn't" have done something (can't remember what, exactly -I'd have to go digging through the commit comments to find it, and I don't want to do that).

Re: Apple: Apps should not require users to opt into tracking to access content

#20

Post by easton »

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #9
Nextgrid wrote: post #3

Full text of the clause: > 3.2.2 Unacceptable > (vi) Apps should allow a user to get what they’ve paid for without performing additional tasks, such as posting on social media, uploading contacts, checking in to the app a certain number of times, etc. Apps should not require users to rate the app, review the app, watch videos, download other apps, tap on advertisements, enable tracking, or take other similar actions…

I find that policy entirely acceptable, for the same reasons I think shrink-wrap EULAs should be illegal. This makes me curious about Apple and iOS / OS X. Does Apple try to require that the user accepts an EULA for the OS after buying Apple hardware?

Yes, they do. On the Mac, at least for the longest time, they put a sticker on the shrink wrap for the device that said something to the effect of "By using this device, you agree to the terms of Software License Agreement found at apple.com/legal/sla". Of course, if you didn't agree with that you could return the device or install Windows/Linux, but on the iPhone (which won't activate without agreeing), you can't since the bootloader is locked.
Post reply on HN