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My Phone Was Spying on Me, So I Tracked Down the Surveillants

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Re: My Phone Was Spying on Me, So I Tracked Down the Surveillants

#141

Post by distances »

mdpopescu wrote: post #135
distances wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you mean the conspiracy theory, then some proof would be in order. That happening, and most people believing that to happen, are both outlandish claims. Spoiler: it actually does not happen. As the other person commented, snooping like this in scale would leak.

I don't understand this "argument from incredulity". It has leaked - you found out about it. Do you want them to publish an article in NY Times saying "yes, we spy on you all the time"? Do you want a personalized letter? What, exactly, is the form of this "leak" you expect would happen if this were true?

Just in case you are serious here: a random anecdote on a forum discussion doesn't count for anything, definitely not for a "leak". That parent message had a wild claim which of course requires serious proof.

Edit: since you're asking, proof could be multiple testimonials from ex-engineers working on the project or a peer-reviewed article in a serious journal. Until that this is in the same bin with healing crystals and chemtrails.

Re: My Phone Was Spying on Me, So I Tracked Down the Surveillants

#142

Post by Terretta »

hnarn wrote: post #48

It seems like this issue can be largely circumvented by the fact that at least on iOS, giving location data now requires much more interaction from the user? Every time a new app asks for your location, you can select whether you want to give it that information all the time, or only while using the app. Another thing that I've started using recently is NextDNS[1], and it's amazing the amount of tracker garbage that'…

I'm sure someone has a database of frameworks that iOS apps turn to for user linking / monetization?

I didn't readily find a list last time I looked, so I'm not sure how single person dev shops are getting hooked up with these privacy bypassing hydras.

From DNS logs in Nov 2019, I had found some of the more common on iOS a year ago included:

iOS “User Linking” Trackers

[business].app.link

[business].onelink.me

[hash].ulink.adjust.com

[business].bttn.io

bnc.lt

branch.io

Some of these you can see who uses them, thanks to subdomains:

https://securitytrails.com/list/apex_domain/app.link (2962)

https://securitytrails.com/list/apex_domain/onelink.me (998)

https://securitytrails.com/list/apex_domain/bttn.io (60)

These are different from iOS Measurement Trackers such as:

events.appsflyer.com

reports.crashlytics.com

api.mixpanel.com

app-measurement.com

But it's gotten enough worse I almost want Apple to implement Little Snitch style blocking at the network layer, and offer a measurement anonymizing API that devs can use and is whitelisted by default. Ensure legit usage/debugging info is anonymously available, while use of other trackers would then suggest other motivations at play.

Re: My Phone Was Spying on Me, So I Tracked Down the Surveillants

#144

Post by nbzso »

olvy0 wrote: post #131
nbzso wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, I don't like Twitter for long form content. It's not designed for this.

There's also nitter, it's slightly better than the twitter interface https://nitter.net/martingund

Thanks.

Re: My Phone Was Spying on Me, So I Tracked Down the Surveillants

#145

Post by Glawen »

amai wrote: post #143

I thought the GDPR is only valid in the EU. But the author is from Norway, which is not member of the EU. So how does the GDPR apply for him?

GDPR applies to the EEA, which Norway is part of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regula...

Re: My Phone Was Spying on Me, So I Tracked Down the Surveillants

#146

Post by bigwavedave »

ska wrote: post #105
bigwavedave wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Usually there is a few lines at the end stating that wherever this is illegal, these parts are not binding Personally, this is what I detest the most. There's always a bit in the boilerplate that's akin to "you agree to everything here, even the unenforceable bits. If we're ever challenged on the unenforceable parts after the fact, you still agree to be bound by everything else here." IA[very_much]NAL, but to me th…

severability is actually a really important and broad legal concept (IANAL). I can where you get to [the view you espouse above] but if you think a bit about it you'll realize that contract law would become pretty unworkable without it. If every clause and statement has to be perfect or the whole thing evaporates, it would be hard to get anything done. And even if it were ok today, legislative changes tomorrow could…

This is a fair point; it makes good sense and I'm glad you delineated ToS abuse and the spirit of the law!

Re: My Phone Was Spying on Me, So I Tracked Down the Surveillants

#147

Post by m463 »

bjarneh wrote: post #13

> “I agree,” I pressed. We had now made a binding agreement, the app and I. I hate this whole premise. We have to agree to an incomprehensible text wall of vague legal nonsense, that very often violate our own laws (as in this case), in order to install an app. These illegal contracts are completely void of any meaning, and it should not matter that you "agreed" to be screwed over like that. Being screwed over like t…

> We have to agree

When you install an iphone it's even worse

They have a screen describing privacy.

You can click and see the privacy policy.

And then the privacy policy is actually pages and pages and pages of pointers to individual sub-privacy policies.

and there is no "I agree", they just show you all this.

You can opt out of some things later, but already they're a token gesture.

Re: My Phone Was Spying on Me, So I Tracked Down the Surveillants

#148

Post by bjarneh »

m463 wrote: post #147
bjarneh wrote: post #13

> “I agree,” I pressed. We had now made a binding agreement, the app and I. I hate this whole premise. We have to agree to an incomprehensible text wall of vague legal nonsense, that very often violate our own laws (as in this case), in order to install an app. These illegal contracts are completely void of any meaning, and it should not matter that you "agreed" to be screwed over like that. Being screwed over like t…

> We have to agree When you install an iphone it's even worse They have a screen describing privacy. You can click and see the privacy policy. And then the privacy policy is actually pages and pages and pages of pointers to individual sub-privacy policies. and there is no "I agree", they just show you all this. You can opt out of some things later, but already they're a token gesture.

> When you install an iphone it's even worse

It can always get worse...

> .. pages of pointers to individual sub-privacy policies.

At this point expecting someone to have read them is just nuts. The "lawsuit culture" in the US, where you have to guard yourself from possible lawsuits all the time, have made these legal contracts comically bad. They have always been strange, since you typically get to read them after you unpack the phone/computer etc.

Re: My Phone Was Spying on Me, So I Tracked Down the Surveillants

#149

Post by cleverpatrick »

bjarneh wrote: post #13

> “I agree,” I pressed. We had now made a binding agreement, the app and I. I hate this whole premise. We have to agree to an incomprehensible text wall of vague legal nonsense, that very often violate our own laws (as in this case), in order to install an app. These illegal contracts are completely void of any meaning, and it should not matter that you "agreed" to be screwed over like that. Being screwed over like t…

In the past I've used a text or html editor to change that text before clicking "I Agree," and then saving off a local copy.

Seems as reasonable a way to negotiate the contact as the way it was presented to me in the first place.

Re: My Phone Was Spying on Me, So I Tracked Down the Surveillants

#150

Post by strwbarie »

throwaway_pdp09 wrote: post #114
jnsie wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is a fantastic but very unsettling article. It's a somewhat dystopian present we live in

There are way to fight back. If you choose to. Convenience usually comes first it seems.

How? What are the best ways to fight back?
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