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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

#142
post #141

While this is an awesome feature, they're also going to start disabling 32bit apps that I paid for, and use regularly. Damn!

It is annoying. My kids play some games on their phones I downloaded back in 2009. Lemonade art and is one. The game doesn't even appear on the App Store anymore and only works with older versions of iOS, but if your phone is compatible you can still download it from the 'Purchased Apps' section.

All that will go away, but on the other hand I really don't expect them to support 32bit apps forever. You always have the option of simply not upgrading iOS. It's a trade off.

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

#143
post #4

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.

Geotagging in photos it pretty useful. And find my iPhone. Then there's Pokemon Go - maybe not your cup of tea, but a lot of people love it. It's pretty useful to be able to share your location with someone in iMessage, I've done that a few times. Your mileage may vary.

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

#144
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you think the government should be able to spy on non-US citizens using services from US companies?

"Spying on citizens of other countries" is pretty much the job description of every spy agency in every government around the world (and many add "spying on their own citizens" as well). We may not like it, but it's not exactly a surprising state of affairs.

I'm not sure what the job description and constitutional limits of all spy agencies around the world are. What can Swiss authorities look into without a court order for instance? I don't know.

But in any event, there is only one country with a significant globally active IT industry and a capable globally active spy agency. That combination is becoming more problematic, which is unsurprising as well.

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

#145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it's a map app thats its nature.

There's no good reason it should do so when backgrounded.

There are almost a billion good reasons for it to track your location all the time.

http://www.jpost.com/Business/Business-News/Google-announces...

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

#146
post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Explicitly decided to keep Google Maps' location history activated on my device for precisely the same reasons. I'm yet to use it in court or something like that, but the argument about human memory resonates with me strongly - I've used location history many times to review e.g. on which day I was in some place or other few years ago. (Or once, years ago, to check how exactly did I get home after one party.) RE peop…

Do you mean ex ante? A priori knowledge is that which is independent of experience, as in deduced from pure reason; it doesn't just mean 'in advance'.

in a more formal or philosophical context you're right, but the more colloquial "in advance" usage is not wrong per se (hehe).

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

#147
post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but Apple seems to have access to the encryption keys Of course, no one claimed that iCould data was E2E. They also need to decrypt the data in order to serve it to their users.

> They also need to decrypt the data in order to serve it to their users. That's the point, they don't (and shouldn't) need to. As Apple itself says in the above linked article: "Apple is working to further harden iCloud security so that even it won't be able to access user information stored on its data servers"

Web access means that you've always got one of three things:

1) the company has the encryption key

2) you give the company the encryption key each time you log in and they store it temporarily

3) everything is getting decrypted in the browser locally (probably tremendously infeasible)

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

#148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

It's not necessary to uninstall the app after each use to prevent tracking - in Settings...Privacy...Location Services, you can disable location on a per-app basis.

(this is admittedly a pain, and Apple enforcing in-use-only option availability is a welcome change)

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

#149

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

Turned location off for Uber for this reason. Makes the app less useable - but still worth it. Without that feature, I'd rather just wave a taxi in (depending on city). Makes me feel like Uber is hostile towards users instead of servicing them.

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

#150

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

I'm as willing as the next guy to dump on Uber, but in this case Apple didn't leave them many options.

If they chose "while in use" then a ton of functionality would never be possible for any user whatsoever... because the only options they had were, to coin some temporary terms:

Option A: "All or nothing with behavior 1 (while app is in use only)"

or

Option B: "All or nothing with behavior 2 (always use location whether app is in use or not)"

If they chose option A, their app would be a lot less useful.

If they chose option B, they piss off some people who think they should have offered option A. But Apple would not allow them to offer both option A and option B.

Now, with this upcoming change in iOS 11, Apple will allow them to offer both options, if they choose to.

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