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Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

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Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#81

Post by higerordermap »

VoxPelli wrote: post #57
grishka wrote: post #43

I really wish mobile OSes would allow you to grant apps permissions but serve fake data, (that's important!) without giving the app the ability to tell the difference. Just so it appears to the app that you've given the permission, when you in fact have not. This would solve this entire class of problems and then some. So, for example: - App "has" access to contacts, but the system returns that you have none. - App "…

iOS almost allows this for geo-location nowadays, where one can pick whether to give ones exact position or a much less exact position, and for photos where one can select exactly what photos the app should get access to.

Does android have this API? The problem I see is, if they are introduced in later versions, people are anyway used to apps asking these permissions and developers don't bother to use these.

Also, a question to security experts: In many apps say we want a UX where the user would immediately be able to see their recent pics and select from them (think recent photos bar in whatsapp), but app shouldn't be able to access them. Is it safe if OS provides it as a screen overlay service which doesn't require a separate screen/window, but runs out of process (a la file picker).

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#82

Post by koheripbal »

arendtio wrote: post #20
godzillabrennus wrote: post #2

DropBox seems to have decided that the only way for them to grow is to turn their data sync platform into a collaborative platform. Makes a whole lot of sense to steal contacts from all your users. FYI - never use oauth to log into anything you care about.

I am not so sure if oauth is to blame alone. I mean, it is a technology that lets you control what you want to share. However, engaging in business with a partner who decides to change the rules, is something I see a lot more critical. So maybe the lesson should sound more like - 'Don't use Dropbox for anything you care about' or - 'Don't do business with large corporations for anything you care about' To clarify, I…

Isnt the point here that you don't have control? Seems like you need to allow contact access to use google login at all.

There is no fine grained control to permissions.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#83

Post by 2Gkashmiri »

Erlich_Bachman wrote: post #32

Syncthing might be a good option for those that wish to migrate. It is a stable open-source solution for syncing a directory in many-to-many clients situation. The syncthing itself provides no servers. But if you wish to have a central server it could be as easy as just installing synchting on your main machine or a cheap VPS. The UI is good enough and it is stable.

this. i was an old bittorrent sync user when it came up, continued to use it till they made it difficult. probably from day 1. then found out about syncthing and couldnt ask for more. it does take "understanding" to get everything hooked up but once done it just works without any issues

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#84

Post by malka »

tallanvor wrote: post #45
godzillabrennus wrote: post #2

DropBox seems to have decided that the only way for them to grow is to turn their data sync platform into a collaborative platform. Makes a whole lot of sense to steal contacts from all your users. FYI - never use oauth to log into anything you care about.

> FYI - never use oauth to log into anything you care about. I definitely agree with this. While it's true that Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Apple are probably better at securing accounts than most other companies, there's always the possibility that they can be compromised. Another problem is that if your oauth provider decides to close your account for whatever reason, it may be difficult or impossible to unlin…

My Spotify is broken since I deleted my Facebook. I can't even change the email in my profile.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#85

Post by JimDabell »

grishka wrote: post #43

I really wish mobile OSes would allow you to grant apps permissions but serve fake data, (that's important!) without giving the app the ability to tell the difference. Just so it appears to the app that you've given the permission, when you in fact have not. This would solve this entire class of problems and then some. So, for example: - App "has" access to contacts, but the system returns that you have none. - App "…

Not quite the same thing, but if you use Sign in with Apple, the application gets an Apple email address, and Apple forwards the email on to you.

Facebook Login used to have this as an option too, but stopped years ago.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#86

Post by HyperMassive »

grishka wrote: post #43

I really wish mobile OSes would allow you to grant apps permissions but serve fake data, (that's important!) without giving the app the ability to tell the difference. Just so it appears to the app that you've given the permission, when you in fact have not. This would solve this entire class of problems and then some. So, for example: - App "has" access to contacts, but the system returns that you have none. - App "…

LineageOS 16 used to have this feature. I really miss it. https://forum.fairphone.com/t/transitioning-from-los16s-priv...

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#87

Post by malka »

rad_gruchalski wrote: post #6
godzillabrennus wrote: post #2

DropBox seems to have decided that the only way for them to grow is to turn their data sync platform into a collaborative platform. Makes a whole lot of sense to steal contacts from all your users. FYI - never use oauth to log into anything you care about.

> FYI - never use oauth to log into anything you care about. Interesting remark. I'm not objecting but it's interesting that this goes against what can one read here very often from people who comment on new products, which goes like this: "if you offered oauth sign up, I'd sign up but won't bother with creating an account". Just an observation.

I'm the opposite. 'only Google and Facebook Auth ? Can't create account ? Bye.'

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#88

Post by VBprogrammer »

KingOfCoders wrote: post #53
Ensorceled wrote: post #18

I left dropbox when they changed the full page upsell to "dropbox business" so that I couldn't easily figure out how to skip it and get on with my work. I had a paid pro account at the time. I actually had a conversation with a product manager; I checked the yes you can contact me when I cancelled my account. They simply refused to admit that an upsell was a advertisement and that disrupting my workflow on my paid, p…

Same with the ads for Amazon videos on Amazon Prime. They are ads and I don't want ads. But they don't see it that way (don't get me started on the forced watching of texts on Blue Rays).

Honestly, the most annoying thing about this is when they show you an advert for a series that you have already watched. I mean it's not like they don't have the data already...

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#89

Post by jjbinx007 »

KingOfCoders wrote: post #53
Ensorceled wrote: post #18

I left dropbox when they changed the full page upsell to "dropbox business" so that I couldn't easily figure out how to skip it and get on with my work. I had a paid pro account at the time. I actually had a conversation with a product manager; I checked the yes you can contact me when I cancelled my account. They simply refused to admit that an upsell was a advertisement and that disrupting my workflow on my paid, p…

Same with the ads for Amazon videos on Amazon Prime. They are ads and I don't want ads. But they don't see it that way (don't get me started on the forced watching of texts on Blue Rays).

Ads on Amazon Prime are infuriating. And I can't help think how annoying it must be for people with disabilities.

My other bugbear are the auto playing videos on Netflix and the use of massive spoilers in episode thumbnails.

As a single consumer in a vast ocean I don't think my opinions will ever be listened to. Right now it's worth putting up with this crap as the benefits outweigh the cost but if it gets any worse I'll be unsubscribing.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#90

Post by Aissen »

grishka wrote: post #43

I really wish mobile OSes would allow you to grant apps permissions but serve fake data, (that's important!) without giving the app the ability to tell the difference. Just so it appears to the app that you've given the permission, when you in fact have not. This would solve this entire class of problems and then some. So, for example: - App "has" access to contacts, but the system returns that you have none. - App "…

Yes, but it cannot be the sole feature. This should be done for compatibility with old apps, but also explicitly forbidden in the app stores that any app try to work around that by doing any kind of active detection.
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