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Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

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Re: Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

#151
post #39

Seems to be some suggestions now that apps were continuing to crash even after commenting out the FB implementation because FB is managing to do remote API calls just because the framework is linked. https://github.com/facebook/facebook-ios-sdk/issues/1373#iss... > It does not matter. Their libraries are dynamic, and they abuse +load functions for classes with some business logic calls. So, +load will be called anywa…

(For the iOS engineers reading along: please don't put network calls in +load, or __attribute__((constructor)), or a C++ static variable, or whatever other clever way you think you can get code execution before main.)

Not just network calls, but also the file system, or basically anything nontrivial.

C++ static variables can now be annotated with constinit to resolve issues like this: https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/constinit It basically asks the compiler to enforce that constructor calls can only do trivial things.

Re: Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

#152
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Is that "spyware"? Yes, absolutely. It uses energy and bandwidth I paid for to surreptitiously transmit my information for use which will solely benefit Facebook and the software developer.

Devil's advocate: you could always not run those apps. Although for non-technical users it would be challenging to determine if the apps were transmitting that info, it's possible for technical users to detect it (assuming the info goes to an obviously-facebook url and isn't piped through e.g. spotify) Additionally I don't think there is anything wrong with client-side analytics in general since it's basically the on…

My bank has the Facebook sdk in there app. At the time they where the only bank willing to open an account for an under 18, international student. I queried them about opting out, they told me to opt out on Facebook's end. Not sure how I would avoid banking.

Re: Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

#153
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Is that "spyware"? Yes, absolutely. It uses energy and bandwidth I paid for to surreptitiously transmit my information for use which will solely benefit Facebook and the software developer.

Devil's advocate: you could always not run those apps. Although for non-technical users it would be challenging to determine if the apps were transmitting that info, it's possible for technical users to detect it (assuming the info goes to an obviously-facebook url and isn't piped through e.g. spotify) Additionally I don't think there is anything wrong with client-side analytics in general since it's basically the on…

What is this fresh hell? If you buy a spatula on Amazon, would you accept "client-side analytics" on what you cook because "it's basically the only way to monitor it?" Or would you say that your spatula usage is nobody's business?

I love and happily pay for Spotify, but it is eye-opening that they send any data to Facebook. Well, shit.

Re: Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

#154
post #36

For those wondering why the Facebook SDK is so widely used in popular mobile apps: Facebook Login is actually in the minority of reasons to add the Facebook SDK to your mobile app. The vast majority of apps will add the Facebook SDK because it contains Facebook App Ads; a library that "completes the circle" in terms of finding out how effectively the ads you ran on Facebook were at getting people to download, install…

Don't mind me. I'm just going to come into your house and record what commercials you are watching. I'm not spyware I'm just _merely_ wanting to know about my marketing budget. Analogy may not be perfect but it takes serious mental gymnastics to fail to see this as spyware, in my opinion.

Don’t forget that you’re picking which houses to invade based on gender, age, etc.

Totally not creepy.

Re: Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

#155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having a government full of technical lot illiterate politicians regulating digital advertisement - what could possibly go wrong.

I am not sure whether there could be anything worse than the current situation of a free-for-all with customers' data.

Maybe the government having access to all of your data....

Re: Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

#156
post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also not GDPR compliant, not that anyone actually bothers to enforce the law. If we respect the GDPR then data sharing for Facebook Login should only happen once the user presses the Facebook login button (as at that point the data sharing becomes essential to provide the functionality). As far as ad/marketing attribution it should be opt-in as that is not an essential requirement to provide the service (and…

Re: Ad/marketing attribution, that's not necessary correct. If the data point that gets sent back to Facebook is a GUID type string that matches the GUID that got generated when you first clicked the Facebook ad for the app and doesn't include data about you specifically, I believe that's fine. I don't myself have up-to-date information what data Facebook receives via its SDK but I suspect it is GPDR compliant throug…

In the eyes of the law, how is storing and sending the guid later different from storing and sending a cookie?

Edit: the GPDR link specifically says identifier numbers are personal information, and I don’t see a carve out for allowing targeted marketing campaigns to use them to measure/improve targeting performance.

Wrong link, maybe?

Re: Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

#157
post #147
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Is that "spyware"? Yes, absolutely. It uses energy and bandwidth I paid for to surreptitiously transmit my information for use which will solely benefit Facebook and the software developer.

That is the entire business model of mobile.

Spotify is a paid product.

Re: Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

#158

Why is facebook spyware part of Spotify. I signed up to Spotify via email not facebook login.

Spotify is a web app, that is wrapped into clients on different platforms. The app is constantly pinging googletagservices.com, edgesuite.net, fbcdn.net, fbsbx.com, google.com, googlesyndication.com and doubleclick.net, however you are using the app. It doesn't matter if you only listen to one, unshared, downloaded playlist. Constant tracking.

[deleted]

Re: Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah. I'm thankful for the opportunity, err... requirement to trade my privacy for others to have one fewer password to deal with. And of course for Facebook to have more personal data to munch on.

I'm not really sure what the problem is here. You are perfectly free to not use Spotify, or any other app that chooses to utilize Facebook login or other components of the Facebook SDK. Spotify made their choice to use the SDK for whatever gains they get out of it, and as a customer you can choose to not use their service or app if you disagree with that. There's even comments in this HN thread that point you on how…

This is really just a variant of the "and yet you participate in society, hmmm" argument.

At some point users are allowed to complain about shady behaviour done by huge corporations with resources they use to try to thrust their way into everyones lives.

Re: Facebook iOS SDK Remotely Crashing Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Winno and More

#160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Devil's advocate: you could always not run those apps. Although for non-technical users it would be challenging to determine if the apps were transmitting that info, it's possible for technical users to detect it (assuming the info goes to an obviously-facebook url and isn't piped through e.g. spotify) Additionally I don't think there is anything wrong with client-side analytics in general since it's basically the on…

>Devil's advocate: you could always not run those apps. Although for non-technical users it would be challenging to determine if the apps were transmitting that info, it's possible for technical users to detect it (assuming the info goes to an obviously-facebook url and isn't piped through e.g. spotify) But therein lies the rub: the overwhelming majority of users of software are not like you and me and have no idea w…

The resources are trivial. If you don't like it you don't have to use the app that you chose to install.
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