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How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

timmarinin.net

351–360 of 478 posts

Re: How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

#351
post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually hate that apps are allowed to blank out content on screenshots, and this can't be disabled. There are apps completely mis-using it, e.g. mobile payment apps which hardly show any sensitive data in most cases, but now I can't share e.g. infos on screen with someone else easily. It's a classic case of someone discovering a feature and thinking "hell yeah, so much security" without understanding or caring abo…

I understand the sentiment, but think about the non-technical user. Every time I use my mothers or any elderlies phone there are a lot of screenshots in the gallery, because they accidentally click the combo. How many people get scammed using screen sharing? It isn't that unreasonable to prevent this vector just to be more safe, especially if the bank might be partially at fault if a scam happens.

People also take pictures of their government IDs (passports, drivers license, etc) and utility bills.

Should the phone identify those things and automatically blur out all of the sensitive information in those photos too?

I’d prefer if my phone did neither that nor told the apps that a screenshot was being taken nor allowing the apps to hide anything that was on screen when a screenshot is taken.

It’s my phone, I want to decide what I take photos and screenshots of.

Re: How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

#352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OTOH, I might very well want to take a screenshot of my own bank details, transactions, or other sensitive information. It's annoying that my information is being protected from myself.

You might have amazing operational security but lots of other people don't, and they make noise, which means governments write laws meaning that banks have to refund them for fraud. So as much as a bank might agree with your stance on freedom of compute - they probably don't want to pay for it with actual money.

Banks have managed to externalize the costs of their own security onto people by inventing the concept of "identity theft", and pinning the blame for poor security practices on regular people.

They really shouldn't be allowed to double down on it.

And arguably, half of it isn't even really security, it's about keeping you in their app. Application interface is the ultimate sales platform, and banks are making extensive use of that fact.

Re: How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

#353

This is why pocket computers are still so unserious. My programs should not be aware let alone respond to my administrative actions like screenshots.

They don't respond to it. It simply says "this button is part of sensitive content", and the OS itself hides the sensitive content, revealing the image below it

[dead]

Re: How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

#354
post #9
post #2

Well, I have not once found a single case where an app reacting to screenshots and controlling the process in any way was anything to me but hostile and annoying. This one does not help. It somehow is perfect example of how modern software engineering feels to go astray for me. A feature in my device working completely in benefit of the one providing said software. I wish, and wish only I can, that this trend goes aw…

It still baffles me that it has become normal for an OS to place the wishes of an app above those of the user. Hijacking the screenshot process is a privilege that you ought to be able to revoke, it's insane to allow software to be given more control. And don't tell me it's anything to do with security when it can be circumvented in any number of ways.

> Hijacking the screenshot process is a privilege that you ought to be able to revoke, it's insane to allow software to be given more control.

It should not exist as a control in the first place.

I know it may sound absolutist, but the way I see it: if you allow this as a user-revocable permission, then the very apps that need to be screenshotted by users most often will be the first to refuse to work at all unless you grant this permission.

Screenshotting is an system operations level feature. Apps should be neither aware of, nor able to interfere with, a screen capture being taken.

Re: How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

#355
post #57
post #2

Well, I have not once found a single case where an app reacting to screenshots and controlling the process in any way was anything to me but hostile and annoying. This one does not help. It somehow is perfect example of how modern software engineering feels to go astray for me. A feature in my device working completely in benefit of the one providing said software. I wish, and wish only I can, that this trend goes aw…

Side note- The Screenshot culture itself needs to die, sorry. Many a time, a share button simply works. I don’t know why people would share a screenshot or a map instead of pin and share their location. Yes there are cases where a screenshot helps but majority cases simply is “come to this place” a which turns out to make more difficult because people apparently don’t know how to share locations with pin and share!

I totally disagree - the few times I accidentally use a share button, or are forced to use one, the experience is so desperately miserable I am forcibly reminded why I never use them. It's always several clicks, choosing the social platform I need from the millions-long-list which is paginated into pages of like 4 icons at a time (I just want a URL! but you broke your website to force users into the app!) and from there choosing a specific chat or group or whatever from a poorly ordered list that starts with some person I met at a bar twelve years ago rather than the chat I was literally just typing in two seconds ago...

and then when it does send I have no control over the presentation on the other side. Sites love to add some cringe "I love this app SOOOO much hearteyesemoji fire fire fire... sent from my iPhone, made with love in san cupertino" nonsense in my own voice - literally sending their words into my chats using my account, as though I had written their marketing dreck

Re: How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

#356
post #49

If it's between this and a perpetual logo, I'll take this any day. I actually really like this approach. The action button isn't relevant in this context, and it doesn't occlude the content. There's certainly situations where you wouldn't want this (ie if you're developing the app and you want to redesign starting from a screenshot), but for the average user I think this isn't overly hostile. I understand that people…

I actually hate that apps are allowed to blank out content on screenshots, and this can't be disabled. There are apps completely mis-using it, e.g. mobile payment apps which hardly show any sensitive data in most cases, but now I can't share e.g. infos on screen with someone else easily. It's a classic case of someone discovering a feature and thinking "hell yeah, so much security" without understanding or caring abo…

I went to screenshot my upcoming Verizon Fios fiber install out of excitement and got an immediate warning dialog.

WARNING: You are in violation of the My Fios app end user licensing agreement that prohibits duplication of this screen. Please immediately delete this from your device.

... apparently buried in the app T&Cs is a "Distribution of the technician's picture or information is prohibited". Even if there's no tech assigned, the screen with the picture of the grey fake man with a fake hat apparently causes a big old warning if you screenshot it.

Re: How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

#357
post #194

This is phone OS developer's fault for even allowing it. When I take a screenshot, I expect to have an image of exactly whatever was displayed on the screen at the time. Its not a picture of your app, its a picture of my screen. Some banking apps used to (or still) prevent this and now some apps get a hook to insert their branding. My device serves some master other than myself.

This exists for a very good reason. It’s so if an app is showing a password or bank account number or other piece of sensitive information it doesn’t accidentally end up in a screenshot. I think there are other places sensitive information won’t show. Bluesky, and apparently others, are abusing the functionality for advertising purposes. I think it’s a good thing it’s there. This functionality should be easy for apps…

Then it's a bad solution to a real problem. A better solution would be exposing a hook that apps can call when a screenshot is initiated that tells the OS to warn the user before saving the screenshot. This way the user is actually educated on the risk while still respecting their right to control the outcome.

Re: How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

#358

This is why pocket computers are still so unserious. My programs should not be aware let alone respond to my administrative actions like screenshots.

They don't respond to it. It simply says "this button is part of sensitive content", and the OS itself hides the sensitive content, revealing the image below it

have you never encountered the plague of apps saying "don't screenshot, our content looks so much better when you share it, see:" and then displaying a picture of the stupidest looking thing youve ever seen in your life as though you would ever consider showing that to your friends instead of the most personal thing - literally showing them what youre seeing with your own eyes

Re: How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

#359
post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve seen another app do that but for a different reason. It’s for security cameras and they use it to show a “hey idiot just press the save a picture button, don’t take screenshots” popup, which is also hostile. I’m not sure why the app needs to be notified. There must be some use but I can’t think of it off the top of my head.

Yeah it’s Snapchat. If you take a screenshot of a (potentially extremely private, intended to be ephemeral) image, it notifies the person who sent it.

Anyone can take a "snap" of the phone screen with another phone's camera so this is a losing battle anyway.

It amuses me that browsers in incognito mode refuse to allow screenshots on mobile. But same browser running incognito on a desktop can be merrily screenshotted. What is the difference they are trying to enforce based purely on device form factor/OS.

Re: How Bluesky draws its logo on screenshots

#360
post #49

If it's between this and a perpetual logo, I'll take this any day. I actually really like this approach. The action button isn't relevant in this context, and it doesn't occlude the content. There's certainly situations where you wouldn't want this (ie if you're developing the app and you want to redesign starting from a screenshot), but for the average user I think this isn't overly hostile. I understand that people…

I actually hate that apps are allowed to blank out content on screenshots, and this can't be disabled. There are apps completely mis-using it, e.g. mobile payment apps which hardly show any sensitive data in most cases, but now I can't share e.g. infos on screen with someone else easily. It's a classic case of someone discovering a feature and thinking "hell yeah, so much security" without understanding or caring abo…

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