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Facebook and Snapchat iOS Apps Still Tracking Users Despite Opt-Out

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Re: Facebook and Snapchat iOS Apps Still Tracking Users Despite Opt-Out

#61

Post by rPlayer6554 »

beefield wrote: post #13
trts wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's been surprising how much I stopped thinking about social media entirely since doing this. Not to mention that the mobile web experience is often purposely crippled to try and funnel you back into native. Add in the need to get my timeboxed 2FA code to login and I'll begin to realize how little there is to gain relative to the trouble of actually logging in.

> timeboxed 2FA code Would you mind sharing implementation details?

https://hackernoon.com/how-to-implement-google-authenticator...

I haven't read through this in complete detail but it generally looks like the correct algorithm.

Re: Facebook and Snapchat iOS Apps Still Tracking Users Despite Opt-Out

#62

Post by BbzzbB »

nowherebeen wrote: post #42
BbzzbB wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple fighting it on a technical level or playing tough in private negotiations is one thing, but do you truly expect Apple's customers would be pleased if Tim decides in their stead that Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are off-limits? They have their own profit motives and you can be damn sure they will not hurt them in the name of a privacy crusade. Walling out small time apps with marginal use from your garden is…

They could just disable new device installs and allow existing users to continue using it. That would be enough to motivate them to correct behavior without causing an uproar. Existing users wouldn't even notice.

Equally likely to be enough motivation for potential iPhone buyers to instead get a Pixel or whatever other top-end phones are made for Android. That seems like a more likely compass for Apple's decision making. Besides, when has there even been uproar that translated into material change of users behavior like an exodus? We're a bunch of self-selected nerds/geeks on this forum which makes us forget how much people do not give a shit about privacy issues and other wrong-doings of the FAAMGs. If they do care, the threshold is either really hard to cross or the addiction/network effect too strong to move the needle. These controversies come and go - The Social Network, Cambridge Analytica, addiction/dopamine, Social Dilemma, Chinese interference (TikTok), censorship, election manipulation, terrorism funnels and countless other issues - but users, as an aggregate, they just come. Same way they never stopped buying iPhones despite suicide nets at Foxconn's factories or coffee made with child labor.

What users would care about is if you'd tell them "No, you can't use these apps with billions of users on our phones". I'm ready to be proven wrong, but I'd take a bet Apple will not act on delisting or banning updates for Facebook & Instagram, that's wishful thinking in my book. Their morale high ground PR is clearly effective however.

Re: Facebook and Snapchat iOS Apps Still Tracking Users Despite Opt-Out

#63

Post by Implicated »

chaircher wrote: post #52
rchaud wrote: post #40

Switching to the mobile web version of Instagram on a UBO-enabled browser has been a gift of sorts. Because the website can't run in the background like an app, it can't preload anything. Launching takes a few moments to show posts, and videos don't autoplay. Any time the mobile website shows you a prompt to use the app for "an improved experience", they really just mean "for better tracking and personalized ads".

How long have you been doing this and has it caused you to get locked out your account at all? I used to use instagram on desktop only but the account kept getting suspended, which stopped happening once I reverted back to using the mobile app. Anecdotally heard this was happening with other people too. Would be useful if mobile web was a work around?

How did you go about getting it unlocked? Mine has been locked and now I suspect this is why, but I can’t get any sort of response from Instagram in any way.

Re: Facebook and Snapchat iOS Apps Still Tracking Users Despite Opt-Out

#64

Post by throwaway946513 »

chaircher wrote: post #52
rchaud wrote: post #40

Switching to the mobile web version of Instagram on a UBO-enabled browser has been a gift of sorts. Because the website can't run in the background like an app, it can't preload anything. Launching takes a few moments to show posts, and videos don't autoplay. Any time the mobile website shows you a prompt to use the app for "an improved experience", they really just mean "for better tracking and personalized ads".

How long have you been doing this and has it caused you to get locked out your account at all? I used to use instagram on desktop only but the account kept getting suspended, which stopped happening once I reverted back to using the mobile app. Anecdotally heard this was happening with other people too. Would be useful if mobile web was a work around?

Not parent, but I've been using the mobile web variant for a while and have had no issues with my account being locked. In the past I have used the desktop browser on rare occasions, but a majority of the account activities are done through the WebKit Firefox (iOS).

Re: Facebook and Snapchat iOS Apps Still Tracking Users Despite Opt-Out

#66

Post by ekam »

chaircher wrote: post #52
rchaud wrote: post #40

Switching to the mobile web version of Instagram on a UBO-enabled browser has been a gift of sorts. Because the website can't run in the background like an app, it can't preload anything. Launching takes a few moments to show posts, and videos don't autoplay. Any time the mobile website shows you a prompt to use the app for "an improved experience", they really just mean "for better tracking and personalized ads".

How long have you been doing this and has it caused you to get locked out your account at all? I used to use instagram on desktop only but the account kept getting suspended, which stopped happening once I reverted back to using the mobile app. Anecdotally heard this was happening with other people too. Would be useful if mobile web was a work around?

Yes I’ve also gotten locked out of my account for using their website

Re: Facebook and Snapchat iOS Apps Still Tracking Users Despite Opt-Out

#67

Post by outside1234 »

Nextgrid wrote: post #11
jdvab wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, at least we have cookie banners.

Just FYI, these are not compliant either, but the same problem above is the reason they're still around. A compliant cookie banner (or rather consent flow, as the GDPR covers more than just cookies) should not be annoying - it should be as easy to decline as it is to accept and dark patterns aren't allowed.

But they are allowed by the regulators.

Re: Facebook and Snapchat iOS Apps Still Tracking Users Despite Opt-Out

#68

Post by vanilla_nut »

vmception wrote: post #47
literallyaduck wrote: post #23

Severe fines starting with 25% of gross and making them pay for mandatory audits, coupled with jail for executives would mitigate this.

It's a prisoner's dilemma. Regulators have been made scared of the concept of having a part in making a different monopoly if they cripple the existing near monopolistic companies.

Who cares? They can just topple them again, every time one company grows too powerful. Just like mowing my lawn: I don’t complain that if I mow the grass, it’ll come back. I just mow it every time it grows too high.

It’s all part of the churn, and the government has abdicated their role of monopoly lawnmower.

Re: Facebook and Snapchat iOS Apps Still Tracking Users Despite Opt-Out

#69

Post by vanilla_nut »

BbzzbB wrote: post #17
throwuxiytayq wrote: post #14

How are the apps still not removed?

Apple fighting it on a technical level or playing tough in private negotiations is one thing, but do you truly expect Apple's customers would be pleased if Tim decides in their stead that Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are off-limits? They have their own profit motives and you can be damn sure they will not hurt them in the name of a privacy crusade. Walling out small time apps with marginal use from your garden is…

It could be like Flash: everyone agrees it’s awful, nobody wants to lose it on their device… but if Apple cuts off a large enough share of the market, it could be enough to cut down Facebook forever.

Re: Facebook and Snapchat iOS Apps Still Tracking Users Despite Opt-Out

#70

Post by rchaud »

chaircher wrote: post #52
rchaud wrote: post #40

Switching to the mobile web version of Instagram on a UBO-enabled browser has been a gift of sorts. Because the website can't run in the background like an app, it can't preload anything. Launching takes a few moments to show posts, and videos don't autoplay. Any time the mobile website shows you a prompt to use the app for "an improved experience", they really just mean "for better tracking and personalized ads".

How long have you been doing this and has it caused you to get locked out your account at all? I used to use instagram on desktop only but the account kept getting suspended, which stopped happening once I reverted back to using the mobile app. Anecdotally heard this was happening with other people too. Would be useful if mobile web was a work around?

It's never happened, and I have 2 IG accounts, both running on FF Android.

Best part of using it in a browser is that I can open links in new tabs. So I dont have that issue where going back to the homepage causes the feed to refresh.

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