If Apple is the only organisation defending our privacy, it is time to worry
1–10 of 205 posts
Re: If Apple is the only organisation defending our privacy, it is time to worry
#2I know HN will downvote the hell out of people who doubt Apple, but Apple is most certainly not defending any privacy with their closed-source OS.
For one, it takes quite a bit more on an iOS device to jailbreak it and use an MITM proxy to inspect what apps are doing under the hood than it does for an Android device to do the same. I feel much more peace of mind that I know exactly what apps are sending to their servers and back and that I can inspect it at any time, and Android forks such as LineageOS provide for actually sending fake sensor data back to apps instead of just denying them permissions, which in many cases just cause apps to refuse to function.
Re: If Apple is the only organisation defending our privacy, it is time to worry
#3The only reason behind the iOS changes is because Apple failed to compete with Facebook ads. If Apple didn't sell ads using the same data I could maybe believe there privacy bullshit.
Re: If Apple is the only organisation defending our privacy, it is time to worry
#4Apple should not have to lead the charge for user privacy. The government (particularly Congress, in some cases State Legislatures) needs to step up and create modern rules for a modern society.
While you can’t “cook up” new laws as quickly as an engineer can a prototype, trusting a private entity - with only the power to regulate its own devices and activity - is foolish, if just merely in scope. The interests of a private org just complicate the picture further.
Re: If Apple is the only organisation defending our privacy, it is time to worry
#5I know HN will downvote the hell out of people who doubt Apple, but Apple is most certainly not defending any privacy with their closed-source OS. For one, it takes quite a bit more on an iOS device to jailbreak it and use an MITM proxy to inspect what apps are doing under the hood than it does for an Android device to do the same. I feel much more peace of mind that I know exactly what apps are sending to their serv…
True, it’s very difficult to see what iOS apps and iOS itself are doing. And we can assume that third-party apps are collecting whatever info they can - even after 14.5, when they presumably disclose what they’re collecting.
But, can’t we infer from Apple’s earning statements how much they’re monetizing user data? Currently that seems like not much. Then again, they probably wouldn’t have recruited Antonio Garcia if they weren’t interested in milking that particular cow.
Re: If Apple is the only organisation defending our privacy, it is time to worry
#6Apple is in it for themselves too. Stop falling for this.
Re: If Apple is the only organisation defending our privacy, it is time to worry
#7[deleted]
Re: If Apple is the only organisation defending our privacy, it is time to worry
#8I know HN will downvote the hell out of people who doubt Apple, but Apple is most certainly not defending any privacy with their closed-source OS. For one, it takes quite a bit more on an iOS device to jailbreak it and use an MITM proxy to inspect what apps are doing under the hood than it does for an Android device to do the same. I feel much more peace of mind that I know exactly what apps are sending to their serv…
> just denying them permissions, which in many cases just cause apps to refuse to function.
Factual question: which apps in your experience "refuse to function" when you deny them permission to track you?
Re: If Apple is the only organisation defending our privacy, it is time to worry
#9I know HN will downvote the hell out of people who doubt Apple, but Apple is most certainly not defending any privacy with their closed-source OS. For one, it takes quite a bit more on an iOS device to jailbreak it and use an MITM proxy to inspect what apps are doing under the hood than it does for an Android device to do the same. I feel much more peace of mind that I know exactly what apps are sending to their serv…
True, it’s very difficult to see what iOS apps and iOS itself are doing. And we can assume that third-party apps are collecting whatever info they can - even after 14.5, when they presumably disclose what they’re collecting. But, can’t we infer from Apple’s earning statements how much they’re monetizing user data? Currently that seems like not much. Then again, they probably wouldn’t have recruited Antonio Garcia if…
>But, can’t we infer from Apple’s earning statements how much they’re monetizing user data? Currently that seems like not much.
That only tells you how they're doing competing against the other ad networks, not how much they're trying to monetize the data. Instead since they couldn't compete, they drew a moat around their devices where other companies can't get the data apple can, now.
Re: If Apple is the only organisation defending our privacy, it is time to worry
#10The author gives Apple credit for solving a problem Apple created.
Apple doesn't care about protecting you. They care about protecting their own advertising market share. They don't want to stop tracking your iPhone. They want competitors like Google to stop tracking your iPhone (for free). Apple wants to get paid for that.
If Apple cared about you then tracking functionality would not exist.