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Apple sued over spying mobile apps

venturebeat.com

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Re: Apple sued over spying mobile apps

#11

Post by ardit33 »

roc wrote: post #2

I'm not sure why the UDID would eever have been exposed to app developers. It seems the API should offer an ID that was the result of the UDID run through some sort of hash seeded by project or at least developer cert.

It is not. It is the Device Id that is exposed. Assuming the same user is using the device, you can track that user across application, and advertisement companies can get a clear picture of the user's preferences by aggregating the data coming from all apps. Some apps have legitimate need for the device id though.

I agree with the seeded hash of an UDID. A developer can track one user across handsets, but two different developers can't tell form the hashed uid if it is the same customer.

This solves both the problems of 1. developers having to implement full blown account/login systems if their app is offering subscription services when a simple user id would suffice and 2. not allowing the user to be tracked across services.

I think this was just bad design from Apple.

Re: Apple sued over spying mobile apps

#12

Post by tedunangst »

jdp23 wrote: post #9
jimboyoungblood wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because the lawsuit was most likely inspired by this report by the WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870469400457602...

And how is reporting that applications share informaiton without asking for permission fear-mongering?

This article at least implies that the Weather Channel app is in some way broadcasting my sexual orientation. It's fearmongering because they are deliberately associating some apps that may reveal lots of info with lots of apps that reveal some info, creating the belief in the reader that lots of apps are revealing lots of info.

It follows the pattern of "we found a dangerous toy. your child has toys. special report, after the break."

Re: Apple sued over spying mobile apps

#13

Post by CamperBob »

tedunangst wrote: post #12
jdp23 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how is reporting that applications share informaiton without asking for permission fear-mongering?

This article at least implies that the Weather Channel app is in some way broadcasting my sexual orientation. It's fearmongering because they are deliberately associating some apps that may reveal lots of info with lots of apps that reveal some info, creating the belief in the reader that lots of apps are revealing lots of info. It follows the pattern of "we found a dangerous toy. your child has toys. special report,…

The problem is that by acting as the sole gatekeeper for the App Store, anything that is published can be considered to carry Apple's official stamp of approval. That makes them liable for privacy violations and other legal missteps that the proprietor of a truly open platform could disclaim responsibility for.

If they want to control the platform with an iron fist, they can damn well take the bad consequences along with the good ones.

Re: Apple sued over spying mobile apps

#14

Post by gyardley »

ardit33 wrote: post #11
roc wrote: post #2

I'm not sure why the UDID would eever have been exposed to app developers. It seems the API should offer an ID that was the result of the UDID run through some sort of hash seeded by project or at least developer cert.

It is not. It is the Device Id that is exposed. Assuming the same user is using the device, you can track that user across application, and advertisement companies can get a clear picture of the user's preferences by aggregating the data coming from all apps. Some apps have legitimate need for the device id though. I agree with the seeded hash of an UDID. A developer can track one user across handsets, but two differ…

Advertising companies also have legitimate needs for tracking exposure to advertising across applications. Frequency caps, for instance -- advertisers buy inventory across multiple applications with the explicit provision that a user won't be shown the same ad creative more than a specified number of times in a given period.

Not having cookies accessible across applications is the true design flaw. No one particularly wants to use the UDID for anything. Everyone would much rather use exactly the same infrastructure used for web advertising.

Re: Apple sued over spying mobile apps

#15

Post by alexqgb »

tedunangst wrote: post #12
jdp23 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how is reporting that applications share informaiton without asking for permission fear-mongering?

This article at least implies that the Weather Channel app is in some way broadcasting my sexual orientation. It's fearmongering because they are deliberately associating some apps that may reveal lots of info with lots of apps that reveal some info, creating the belief in the reader that lots of apps are revealing lots of info. It follows the pattern of "we found a dangerous toy. your child has toys. special report,…

It's fear-mongering because the title of the series is 'What They Know' - emphasis on the ominous, faceless, ever-present THEY.

Even if there's no real connection between, say, upstart advertisers and the Black Helicopter Patrol, the framing suggests that anyone with an interest in user data is part of a monolithic, conspiring entity that staffs the thin edge of their Orwellian wedge with Angry Birds.

That's not to say the gist isn't interesting. But the breathless FOX FACTS wrapper? Not helping.

Re: Apple sued over spying mobile apps

#16

Post by jimboyoungblood »

jdp23 wrote: post #9
jimboyoungblood wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because the lawsuit was most likely inspired by this report by the WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870469400457602...

And how is reporting that applications share informaiton without asking for permission fear-mongering?

It's fear-mongering because the media is selective about what it gets huffy and indignant about.

Where's the outrage over Google's behavioral retargeting? And have you ever tried to buy an ad on Facebook? The granularity with which you can target ads is insane (or insanely awesome, depending on your perspective)

http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=863

For example: What is birthday targeting? Birthday targeting allows ads to be targeted to users on their birthdays. Wow.

Mobile ad networks are in the stone ages compared to this.

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