I've found switching to the web version of social apps to be better anyway. Stops me visiting them as frequently if nothing else. I'm actively deciding to visit now rather than mindlessly opening the apps in order Feelin kinda smug right now
I started out dealing with my social media addiction by doing this.
Then I just started logging out most of the time.
In the end I just closed all my accounts but Twitter where I unfollowed everyone and set it up as a dumb mastodon relay for reach.
The title seems inaccurate, and the outrage seems based on the title rather than the actual content. The article text explicitly says that the data is "anonymized and aggregated". How is that tracking?
How could a request from my phone to facebook servers, containing my IP Address and location possibly be "anonymized and aggregated."
It aggregates data from _all_ the people using my phone, in my home, on my wifi? Or does the anonymization happen after the request is sent to fb servers? Can I audit their machines to verify this?
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".
This. I've been working on native mobile apps in the last couple of years, and I realized the only reason companies want to push native apps is because they can do whatever they want with the tracking and 3rd party stuff in general. Seriously this native apps world is so backwards compared to the web... I'll take youtube as an example, on the mobile web app you can block most ads and you don't get the latest stupid f…
Depending on your feeling towards the ethics of it:
YouTube Vanced (3rd party YouTube app) with its integrated sponsorblock actually makes the app pleasant to use, it also unlocks some of the premium only features like background play.
No root required, although you're buggered if you run iOS presumably
This. I've been working on native mobile apps in the last couple of years, and I realized the only reason companies want to push native apps is because they can do whatever they want with the tracking and 3rd party stuff in general. Seriously this native apps world is so backwards compared to the web... I'll take youtube as an example, on the mobile web app you can block most ads and you don't get the latest stupid f…
Depending on your feeling towards the ethics of it: YouTube Vanced (3rd party YouTube app) with its integrated sponsorblock actually makes the app pleasant to use, it also unlocks some of the premium only features like background play. No root required, although you're buggered if you run iOS presumably
Nice app, but I had to uninstall it after a week due to frankly ludicrous battery usage. My phone (pixel 3) battery typically lasts for 2-3 days between full charges, but with YouTube Vanced installed I was running out of battery by 8pm. I want to like this app, but the battery drain was insane.
This. I've been working on native mobile apps in the last couple of years, and I realized the only reason companies want to push native apps is because they can do whatever they want with the tracking and 3rd party stuff in general. Seriously this native apps world is so backwards compared to the web... I'll take youtube as an example, on the mobile web app you can block most ads and you don't get the latest stupid f…
Depending on your feeling towards the ethics of it: YouTube Vanced (3rd party YouTube app) with its integrated sponsorblock actually makes the app pleasant to use, it also unlocks some of the premium only features like background play. No root required, although you're buggered if you run iOS presumably
Is using ubo/sponsorblock unethical? I have been blocking ads for so long I cannot bear to see ads in any shape or form. Our attention is abused.
The title seems inaccurate, and the outrage seems based on the title rather than the actual content. The article text explicitly says that the data is "anonymized and aggregated". How is that tracking?
The anonymization and aggregation is left up to the third party with no way to enforce it. Apple basically gave up and it seems now just says “please be nice ok? Thanks!” While still advertising to consumers that their devices are privacy friendly. This is something to be upset about.
Of course they are. If you don't want to be tracked by Facebook, stop running their code on your device . Apple provides you with the app privacy labels in the App Store. Read them and use them.
Without the apps they will track you too, no worries.
"Hello, Verizon sales department for deep packet inspection, header manipulation, and active surveillance, how can I help you?"