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Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

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Re: Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

#241

Post by unknown_error »

xnx wrote: post #227

This is great. I hope this spurs Google to make their VPN ( https://one.google.com/about/vpn ) more widely available. A few audiences they could expand it to: any ChromeOS device, any Pixel phone, any Android phone, any mobile Chrome user, any Chrome user.

Because Google is definitely the most trustworthy company when it comes to data governance and respecting user privacy. No chance they'd use it to put you into a FLoC-type thing, benefiting their own advertising business while shutting out competitors.

Google, the engineering company, always plays second fiddle to Google, the advertising company.

Re: Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

#242

Post by dehrmann »

KMnO4 wrote: post #52
VWWHFSfQ wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what is bullshit about it

Have you noticed all the ads say “Hackers can spy on your connection when you log into your bank at Starbucks.” That’s complete FUD. HTTPS completely avoids this issue ( especially with a bank). Very few websites use HTTP now. While VPNs do have their valid use (preventing your ISP from spying, changing geolocation, and private networks for eg, work), most of the marketing is spreading misinformation.

> “Hackers can spy on your connection when you log into your bank at Starbucks.”

I've also heard this from a reputable news source (NPR) in the past few years, even though it hasn't been true for banks for at least 15 years, ~5 for most websites.

Re: Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

#243

Post by smoldesu »

headmelted wrote: post #164
gjsman-1000 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, backups, and Apple should get on that. However, your photos in Google Photos, your location data, your uploads in Google Drive (equivalent to iCloud Drive OP is talking about), not end to end encrypted and no option for it. I think market share is another sign. Does anyone use actual Android Backup, or do they use the unencrypted “backups” in G Photos and elsewhere? For that reason should the FBI care? Maybe I’m…

Let's be really frank about it - no large company is going to offer end-to-end encryption of photos because of what kind of photos might end up on their infrastructure if they do. And honestly I don't blame them at all . I'd just like to see Apple be more transparent with this one particular issue because it undermines so much of what they're advertising to the consumer. A transparency label for iCloud backup showing…

Any large company can offer E2E encryption, as long as they don't have extenuating interests that could make them liable for the way I use their services. Unless Apple is harvesting my data on the regular, they should have no problem with me being the sole keyholder for my iCloud account.

Re: Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

#244

Post by mikecarlton »

herbstein wrote: post #117
867-5309 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

totally agree. I had no end of shit trying to watch BBC News channel from abroad. I'm a UK national, I own a house in the UK, I pay UK taxes, I pay your stupid TV licence fee, you're broadcasting live over 3 separate CDNs, just let me watch the fucking news. I eventually subscribed to an illegal IPTV service for that one sodding channel. I don't even need the other 17,000 channels. the BBC drove me to it

Completely off-topic: great choice of name. That number is burned into my mind, and will be forever

Still more off-topic: I can only read it as 86-75-309

Re: Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

#245

Post by smoldesu »

pdimitar wrote: post #123

> All in all, a very Apple approach: They deny themselves any knowledge of a customer's DNS queries and Web traffic, so if served with a subpoena they have very little to respond with. Maybe I am missing something but I view this is a rather genius move. They have plausible deniability + actually introduce some protection for their users. Not sure how to read the original post though. Is it praising Apple? Is it mock…

Apple has claimed this shtick several times (as well as many other VPN companies), but it actually requires a pretty intricate software setup to pull off. The best VPN services won't even have hard drives to store logs in: that way, even individuals with a court-issued warrant can't get your info. I'd imagine there's sufficient pressure on Apple from PRISM and other governments to keep some level of rudimentary logs.

Re: Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

#246

Post by tpush »

flixic wrote: post #143
KMnO4 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you noticed all the ads say “Hackers can spy on your connection when you log into your bank at Starbucks.” That’s complete FUD. HTTPS completely avoids this issue ( especially with a bank). Very few websites use HTTP now. While VPNs do have their valid use (preventing your ISP from spying, changing geolocation, and private networks for eg, work), most of the marketing is spreading misinformation.

I've seen stats for a couple of the biggest VPNs. Massive majority of their traffic is just switching geolocation restrictions (US Netflix and similar). They don't tend to advertise that. Some do, but it's not their main message, because "prevent ISPs from spying" is cleaner. iCloud+ does not solve this, so there will be a sustained need for VPNs, particularly those that invest effort into into avoiding Netflix black…

> They don't tend to advertise that.

IME of podcast advertising they all advertise this very openly.

Re: Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

#247

Post by smoldesu »

unknown_error wrote: post #241
xnx wrote: post #227

This is great. I hope this spurs Google to make their VPN ( https://one.google.com/about/vpn ) more widely available. A few audiences they could expand it to: any ChromeOS device, any Pixel phone, any Android phone, any mobile Chrome user, any Chrome user.

Because Google is definitely the most trustworthy company when it comes to data governance and respecting user privacy. No chance they'd use it to put you into a FLoC-type thing, benefiting their own advertising business while shutting out competitors. Google, the engineering company, always plays second fiddle to Google, the advertising company.

To be fair, Apple's software has always played second fiddle to their hardware. I trust Apple with a VPN about as much as I do Google.

Re: Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

#248

Post by klaushardt »

kerng wrote: post #126
defaultname wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To use it you're clearly using early beta software. Clearly it isn't going to "turn itself on again". I turned it on and actually forgot I did. Performance is decent here. I mean of course it's going to be worse than native, but that's the compromise. As to trusting Cloudflare -- what do you mean? You understand your connection is still TLS end-to-end encrypted (presuming that's what we're talking about), right? I me…

[Clearly not turn itself on.] Funny story, I was shocked and quite annoyed that an iPhone automatically turns on Wifi and stuff every day by itself - even if you turn it off... Still dont know how to actually turn it off

If you tap the wifi button in your controll center it just turns it off for 24 hours or when you switch locations. If you turn it off in the Settings App then it stays off.

Re: Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

#249

Post by smoldesu »

bhaavan wrote: post #47

My guess is one of the major reasons for having the exit nodes in the same geo location as entry nodes is to have continuous operations in China. Without this constraint, they would have allowed chinese consumers to access the free web, which would ban them instantaneously. I don't think Apple cares as much about video content providers, though.

Apple has always given in to China's demands. A few years ago they even moved their entire Asian iCloud datacenter to the China mainland after the government issued some vague complaints about "nationalism" and "security".

Re: Apple's iCloud+ “VPN”

#250

Post by xnx »

unknown_error wrote: post #241
xnx wrote: post #227

This is great. I hope this spurs Google to make their VPN ( https://one.google.com/about/vpn ) more widely available. A few audiences they could expand it to: any ChromeOS device, any Pixel phone, any Android phone, any mobile Chrome user, any Chrome user.

Because Google is definitely the most trustworthy company when it comes to data governance and respecting user privacy. No chance they'd use it to put you into a FLoC-type thing, benefiting their own advertising business while shutting out competitors. Google, the engineering company, always plays second fiddle to Google, the advertising company.

I trust Google and Apple 100x more (low estimate) than I do Comcast/Verizon, AT&T, etc.
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