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Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

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Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#351

Post by pluma »

varjag wrote: post #59
pluma wrote: post #53

I read this as "military industrial complex" and was positively surprised to see such a strong sociopolitical statement coming from Tim Cook, then I noticed the article talks about "data industrial complex" and realised this is still tame enough to count as aggressive marketing.

Apple can effect data industrial complex, unlike the military industrial complex. Doing the opposite would be empty posturing.

Publicly attacking the "data industrial complex" is in line with Apple's economical interests.

Publicly attacking the military industrial complex would be opposed to Apple's economical interests (because it might upset a segment of its customers).

It's difficult to judge the sincerity of moral outrage in an attack that aligns with your own economical interests. You may think of it as "empty posturing" but speaking out against a sociopolitical issue you're not directly part of can help bring about changes and can help shape cultural attitudes.

For example, coming out as gay in 2014 wasn't necessarily in Tim Cook's best economical or even personal interest (though those offended or upset by this are less likely to let that affect doing business with him because after all he's still the CEO of one of the largest corporations) but it may have played a small part in changing overall social attitudes (remember that the Supreme Court decision on equal marriage in 2015 only happened after most states had already passed equivalent legislation and public support had been fairly widespread).

You may not be able to change something by calling out. But you certainly don't change it by remaining silent about it and playing along with the status quo.

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#352

Post by Tehnix »

macintux wrote: post #344
Tehnix wrote: post #329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. That would quite literally be the “Always” setting... For example, for Messenger to share live location, it needs location sharing to be always, and not just “While using”. With while using though, you are still able to share a pin point of you current location.

I don't allow anything Facebook-owned to access my location, so I can't speak to Messenger, but perhaps FB simply doesn't want you to lose location sharing if iOS has to kill Messenger while running in the background. Always: an app can always access your location While using: an app can access your location until explicitly terminated by the user or the OS due to resource constraints Never: self-evident

Fair enough, I seemed to have missed the background part from

> An app is considered "in use" when you're actively using it in the foreground, or when it's in use in the background, which the status bar will indicate.

from https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203033. There is still the indication, but admittedly that is not the same.

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#353

Post by Fnoord »

zmmmmm wrote: post #249
Ensorceled wrote: post #194

The only problem is that Apple is the Mercedes of mobile devices. We really need a Honda and Kia version, a more affordable device that doesn’t track you. Apple is never going to give up their premium position.

Just buy an Android device and opt out of all the tracking? People behave as if this is impossible, but the options are all right there in the settings. There are a few places you lose some features but not super significant ones, and mostly those are because the tracking is intrinsically involved in the functions of the app.

Don't install OpenGApps but use microG [1] instead

[1] https://microg.org/

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#355

Post by emsy »

Aunche wrote: post #331
emsy wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are either utterly uniformed or intentionally misleading. Apple located the data center in China, as Chinese law requires while maintaining the same encryption standards they have for all of their customers. Google was collaborating with China in creating a censorial search engine behind the great firewall. Completely different things.

How is that any different? Google isn't doing anything different from any other search engine in China. Of course, they're collaborating with China, just like Apple in order to build a data center there.

Apple is complying to local standards while keeping their own moral standards. Google is making a moral compromise to work for the CPC. It would be comparable if Apple rolled out a chinese version of iCloud for which the CPC has the keys, which is not the case. By the way, when the Apple situation was reported, I was (and still am) critical of it, because it sets a bad precedent. But spreading misinformation in a forum where people are supposed to know better is not acceptable.

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#356

Post by vinay427 »

inetknght wrote: post #204
PhasmaFelis wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's easy to get root on some Android devices. I think all Google phones purchased directly from Google make it a standard option; some others do as well, and still others have easy exploits.

You still void your warranty though

While I think it's unreasonable that obviously hardware aspects aren't covered by some manufacturers after rooting, is there a straightforward better alternative? I'm honestly wondering, because I wouldn't expect a company to provide support for a device with software they didn't authorize and aren't familiar with. If you want a device that you own, then you need to be responsible for the full cost of ownership, though again that should ideally only extend to software and aspects of hardware controlled by software.

Personally, I don't have a need to root or install alternative ROMs until well after the warranty expires on my devices, so I don't mind the current situation as much as some.

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#357

Post by briandear »

joejerryronnie wrote: post #228
tinco wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps it is cynicism, but I'm pretty sure this is just Apple exploiting a competitive edge, and does not necessarily reflect his own opinion, he is speaking to benefit the company. Of course, it's very nice that Apple made the decision to pick this edge, but they did it because they could not compete with Google on web services. So now they're publicly speaking to try and take the sting out of Google's edge. And th…

This is true but Apple is also vulnerable to the same type of "political" attack. I can imagine Google railing against the evils of employing a workforce of indentured servants to assemble high profit electronic devices. Facebook could begin publicly questioning the wisdom of supporting a technocratic dictator who may be the world's worst offender of oppression through the use of data. Hopefully, Tim is going down th…

Indentured servants? What are you talking about?

You do understand that Google’s Pixel 3 was built by the same Foxconn that built Apple devices right?

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#358

Post by briandear »

leereeves wrote: post #193
robocat wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Each of your complaints is because of a well-designed compromise (app quality/safety; preventing abrupt phone shutdown; removing a common failure point). You may disagree with the compromises, sure. PS: I own zero Apple devices (partly because of the reasons you have, not for the way you are misrepresenting those reasons).

Apple's App Store policies are about far more than app quality or safety. Apple has banned many apps for political or financial reasons. Slowing down old phones without notice or permission wasn't the best response to aging batteries. Even Apple didn't deny it was wrong. They apologized, once they were caught. And the MagSafe connector was not a common failure point.

They didn’t apologize for doing it; they apologized for not explaining it.

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#359

Post by Fnoord »

Kaveren wrote: post #346
gaius wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

billions of people would not have smartphones. But what’s the downside?

It seems like a privileged position to argue that there's no downside to people having smartphones. Many people are unable to regularly access decent laptops or desktops. Internet access is essential. The Internet lets you communicate with friends and family, access a massive trove of knowledge quickly (freeing up education), discuss current events, and all manner of other things. Even personally as a well to do Amer…

Hello FOMO. I grew up in a world where I had to pay by the minute to access the internet or use a phone. I did not have access to a computer 24/7.

Not having/using/carrying a smartphone is a conscious decision one can make with positive and negative aspects. Bruce Schneier points that out in his book Data and Goliath.

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