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When an app asks for permissions, it should have a “feed fake data” option

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Re: When an app asks for permissions, it should have a “feed fake data” option

#371

Post by zzo38computer »

codetrotter wrote: post #2

> When an app asks for permissions, the OS should not only let you answer yes or no. Every category should have a "yes, but feed the app fake data" option. A significant amount of people don’t even know how to forward an email. Imagine the havoc that would ensue when people try to use Google Maps for navigation, and they choose to feed it fake data because they don’t understand what it means. Google Maps: “Turn right…

In that case, people who are driving the car are failing to see properly which way they are going. That problem is a different problem.

> the OS should not only let you answer yes or no. Every category should have a "yes, but feed the app fake data" option

Well, I think perhaps "Yes", "No", and "Custom". If you select "Custom" then perhaps there could be a warning message displayed in the "Custom" menu if that would help, but it should not block you from customizing it as you want to do.

Re: When an app asks for permissions, it should have a “feed fake data” option

#372

Post by charcircuit »

smoldesu wrote: post #354
charcircuit wrote: post #343

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>they should be serving users Bringing content users want to watch is serving users. >DRM should be illegal, period Why? It is preventing users from doing illegal things. Saying that DRM should be removed so that users can make illegal copies of the media they are watching is not a strong argument to me. >Our economy should be designed to serve people, not corporations People make content and people want to be able t…

> People make content and people want to be able to have their copyright not be infringed. Tough shit. Copyright is entirely arbitrary, and it's bad actors have ruined it for everyone else. DRM will be evil for as long as "buying isn't "owning"; until then piracy will be strictly superior. > Computers by default make it way to easy to violate the copyright of creators And my kitchen knives by default make it way too…

>Copyright is entirely arbitrary

Even if copyright wasn't a thing some creators do not want their work to be copied.

>And my kitchen knives by default make it way too easy to violate homicide law

If kitchen knives were made impossible to use for homicide, but could be made for the same exact price in the same amount of time and were just as effective at everything else there would be no reason for people to sell homicide capable knives.

Re: When an app asks for permissions, it should have a “feed fake data” option

#373

Post by zzo38computer »

squarefoot wrote: post #22

> Every category should have a "yes, but feed the app fake data" option. I would prefer it to be per app and not category. I may not want to feed positional data to pretty much everything but Google Maps and any app that calls for help in case of emergency. Same for contacts, personal data etc. I'd however expect an app like that to meet fierce resistance from Google and other businesses that profit from users profil…

I agree, although it should be both per app and per category. For example, one app can have real data available for one permission but fake (or customized or manually entered data) for another one and denied permission for a third one, for example. You might also want to be able to temporarily change the setting, e.g. for testing purposes, or if an app gives you weather for your location and you want to temporarily change it to another location to view that location's weather before changing it back to use the real location afterward.

Re: When an app asks for permissions, it should have a “feed fake data” option

#374

Post by kennyloginz »

internetter wrote: post #198
oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe just seed it with very sensible default settings like "send real data when asking for directions"?

It's impossible for the OS to know the intent of the app requesting location with certainty. That being said, android at least has options for "Approximate" and "Precise" locations and locations in the background or only when the app is open.

Personally, I think it’s great that both options exist. Some problems really do require location info, as well as other strict controls ( like no screen-shots).

Re: When an app asks for permissions, it should have a “feed fake data” option

#375

Post by yonatan8070 »

H8crilA wrote: post #221
kubik369 wrote: post #206

I am surprised no top comment mentions this — on iOS, you cannot distinguish if you were granted a permission or not. As an example, if an app asks you for access to your photos, it will always get an array. The trick is that when you deny this permission, the array will be empty, so you cannot know if the user simply has an empty library or if he denied you access. I like it, simple and elegant. Naturally, in the ca…

How does that work for location? Also, an empty folder with photos is almost certainly implying lack of permissions. Very few people never took a picture.

Almost certainly isn't good enough if your app has tens of thousands of users, what if someone got a new device and didn't restore a backup? I've met many people who wouldn't know how to transfer data from an old device

Re: When an app asks for permissions, it should have a “feed fake data” option

#376

Post by PeterStuer »

Just this moring I was reading through the app permissions for the 51% state owned postal service package delivery tracking app they wanted me to install.

Not only would they collect my 'sexual orientation' (how I wonder?) but they also would 'share it with 3rd parties'.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=be.bpost.mybpo...

Re: When an app asks for permissions, it should have a “feed fake data” option

#377

Post by sickill »

wlesieutre wrote: post #358
userbinator wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True freedom is freedom to do things that others might not like.

Like the freedom to operate a service that only accepts real location data?

As long as I have freedom and means to feed it fake data as real data :)

Re: When an app asks for permissions, it should have a “feed fake data” option

#378

Post by taco9999 »

charcircuit wrote: post #372
smoldesu wrote: post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> People make content and people want to be able to have their copyright not be infringed. Tough shit. Copyright is entirely arbitrary, and it's bad actors have ruined it for everyone else. DRM will be evil for as long as "buying isn't "owning"; until then piracy will be strictly superior. > Computers by default make it way to easy to violate the copyright of creators And my kitchen knives by default make it way too…

>Copyright is entirely arbitrary Even if copyright wasn't a thing some creators do not want their work to be copied. >And my kitchen knives by default make it way too easy to violate homicide law If kitchen knives were made impossible to use for homicide, but could be made for the same exact price in the same amount of time and were just as effective at everything else there would be no reason for people to sell homi…

> kitchen knives were made impossible to use for homicide

Can't wait for kitchen knives that immediately self-destruct if you use them on items that didn't come from the knife manufacturer's grocery store.

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