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iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

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Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#111

Post by msnower »

DavideNL wrote: post #65

I really like Apples pro-privacy stance, in contrary to Google & Microsoft. Hopefully sometime soon Apple will also encrypt iCloud contents so data from non-american people (europe in my case) is protected against the US government prying eyes. Our data/privacy seems pretty well protected inside Europe, but in America we seem to have 0 privacy rights (America first...!)

I think its a great differentiator for Apple. It'll help them sell products like the HomePod and other products in the privacy sensitive "smart home" space.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#112

Post by bad_user »

dingo_bat wrote: post #23

This is amazing. I hope Google takes a lesson from this for Android o. I manually deny location permission to uber after every ride.

Google's own apps are crippled when you disable "location history", e.g: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3118687?hl=en

So I wouldn't hold my breath.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#113

Post by theWatcher37 »

tfoil2 wrote: post #4
gigatexal wrote: post #3

Fantastic. Screw Uber for only having the option to always use or never use.

Screw any app that really thinks it needs my precise coordinates in the foreground, let alone the background. Turn-by-turn directions in maps is the only exception I've found in 10 years of iPhone use.

One slightly frustrating thing is apple hides several key functionalities behind the always permission level.

For example, if I need my app to be woken up remotely by a Bluetooth peripheral that requires the "always" location permission to function.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#114

Post by ff10 »

arprocter wrote: post #98
DavideNL wrote: post #65

I really like Apples pro-privacy stance, in contrary to Google & Microsoft. Hopefully sometime soon Apple will also encrypt iCloud contents so data from non-american people (europe in my case) is protected against the US government prying eyes. Our data/privacy seems pretty well protected inside Europe, but in America we seem to have 0 privacy rights (America first...!)

>contrary to Google My Android phone worked out my home and work location without me telling it. That was a bit weird.

iOS does that too – after a while of carrying it around.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#115

Post by [deleted] »

arprocter wrote: post #98
DavideNL wrote: post #65

I really like Apples pro-privacy stance, in contrary to Google & Microsoft. Hopefully sometime soon Apple will also encrypt iCloud contents so data from non-american people (europe in my case) is protected against the US government prying eyes. Our data/privacy seems pretty well protected inside Europe, but in America we seem to have 0 privacy rights (America first...!)

>contrary to Google My Android phone worked out my home and work location without me telling it. That was a bit weird.

[deleted]

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#116

Post by Sidnicious »

BoorishBears wrote: post #106
arprocter wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>contrary to Google My Android phone worked out my home and work location without me telling it. That was a bit weird.

Every time I switch back to Android tricks like that are actually kind of nifty (but not enough to get me to stay for long). My colleague was really impressed by Google Photo's automatic indexing of pictures being able to find the most obscure objects in pictures

iOS does that too — on-device! — but as a result may not identify as many obscure objects. Seems to handle common ones well, though.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#117

Post by technofiend »

djrogers wrote: post #94
Quenz wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would Uber be unhappy?

Recently Uber updated their app to track and report users' locations even when the app was not being used.

This is why IOS needs profiles. It's that or you just uninstall the app after each use, which is a pain.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#118

Post by mixmastamyk »

coldpie wrote: post #110
659087 wrote: post #77

I'm leaning towards picking up an iPhone next, just to show some support for the solid pro-privacy stance Apple has taken in recent times. Uber isn't going to be happy with this at all, and that's a great thing.

I've been an Android user since my first smartphone, but Apple's privacy and human-hand-sized phones really had me considering an iPhone for my next purchase. I ended up with a Pixel anyway, since I can't use iTunes and I like having a filesystem and using Firefox, but it was a near thing.

Haven't used iTunes in a decade, there is a new files app (thank god), and Firefox and focus have been available for years.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#119

Post by BoorishBears »

Sidnicious wrote: post #116
BoorishBears wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every time I switch back to Android tricks like that are actually kind of nifty (but not enough to get me to stay for long). My colleague was really impressed by Google Photo's automatic indexing of pictures being able to find the most obscure objects in pictures

iOS does that too — on-device! — but as a result may not identify as many obscure objects. Seems to handle common ones well, though.

That sums up most of iOS's ML-ish features vs Android, slightly less impressive, but on-device so privacy is improved

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#120

Post by kingnight »

rscott wrote: post #75
DavideNL wrote: post #65

I really like Apples pro-privacy stance, in contrary to Google & Microsoft. Hopefully sometime soon Apple will also encrypt iCloud contents so data from non-american people (europe in my case) is protected against the US government prying eyes. Our data/privacy seems pretty well protected inside Europe, but in America we seem to have 0 privacy rights (America first...!)

Most of iCloud is encrypted at rest. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303

Interesting omission of iMessage here... since it's not encrypted at rest on their servers.
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