Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31 • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#391

Post by colordrops » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 5:39 AM UTC

dev_tty01 wrote: post #300

asdff wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I still don't get it. You cancel the account, it should be gone like it never happened. Poof. If you make a new account with the same email, it should be a new account with no relation at all to the old account since that one has been deleted and is gone forever and there would be nothing to impersonate here.

Let's say you have the account johndoe@icloud.com. You use that email as your backup email at your bank. You cancel the account. Now someone else opens a new icloud account with johndoe@icloud.com. They can now access your account by "recovering" your password with the backup email.

But the GP is saying they registered their apple id with a non apple email. Why can't your delete the apple id associated with that email, then create another apple id using the same email?

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#392

Post by tazjin » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 5:42 AM UTC

floatingatoll wrote: post #318

grishka wrote: post #310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if you're making an unofficial, unaffiliated app for someone else's service, and their API/protocol doesn't support deleting accounts?

If your app implements account creation, then it will likely be taken down unless either your app removes create-account support or the API and your app implement delete-account support, as a user would reasonably expect that you're able to delete the accounts that you create. If you do not implement account creation, then you're unlikely to be held responsible for account deletion, as a user would reasonably underst…

> And I wouldn't envy you trying to explain why you shouldn't be continuously fined for GDPR violation in the EU, either

This is kind of a bizarre thought to me. You think anyone who provides software that - without involving any services hosted by that person - should be liable for what users do with this software? If this were to hold up in court (which I'm confident it wouldn't), then open-source software would be done.

Or is this a problem of terminology? In the scuttlebutt case, there is no actual "account" - just a key. Maybe one should simply replace the string "Create account" (if there is such a string) with "Generate key/identity".

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#393

Post by Andrew_nenakhov » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 5:50 AM UTC

mehrdada wrote: post #288

oauea wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just allow sideloading. It's not hard to not block that. But apple is hell-bent on collecting every cent they can, so of course all app installations must go through their walled garden where they can take their 30%. Anti-consumer behavior at its finest.

Sideloading is allowed with a free developer account.

Not really. You also need a computer running XCode (i.e. a mac), you'll need to follow the instructions out of 9 rather not obvious pounts and you'll also need to build be app you want to install.

Oh, and of course you won't be able to use push notifications, because Apple.

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#394

Post by danjac » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 5:56 AM UTC

jeroenhd wrote: post #40

anarchogeek wrote: post #27

What about inmutable systems? My app (using scuttlebutt) creates an 'account' but it's located as crypto keys only within the app and apple keychain. So far the apple reviewers refused to believe that it works like. It's open source, they've got the code... but still.... Same is true for anything crypto. The account as it were exists on many devices, but it's not something you as the app creator can manage. I think a…

This is why using the blockchain got user data is such a stupid idea. The immutability makes it impossible to redact or remove information, even if that information is encrypted. The same is true foor P2P services where there is no central accounting system. Deleting the account shouldn't be a problem if all the "account" info is stored on the device itself, so if your reviewers aren't completely incompetent I don't…

> The immutability makes it impossible to redact or remove information, even if that information is encrypted.

If that's the case, does it not run foul of GDPR?

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#395

Post by scarface74 » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 5:57 AM UTC

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #354

nightski wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hate to break it to you but banks are not deleting your account immediately when you close it. They legally can't.

It's not just banks either. Suppose you're an equipment rental service. But you can't delete the customer's account before they return the equipment (or pay for losing it). Suppose you're a dog kennel. You can't delete the customer's account while you have their dog in your possession. Suppose you're the parole division of the police department. Can the "customer" delete their "account"? This is the problem with dict…

It clearly states that if you create the account in the app you have to be able to delete the account within the app.

In none of those cases are you creating the account within the app.

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#396

Post by throaway46546 » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 6:01 AM UTC

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #354

nightski wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hate to break it to you but banks are not deleting your account immediately when you close it. They legally can't.

It's not just banks either. Suppose you're an equipment rental service. But you can't delete the customer's account before they return the equipment (or pay for losing it). Suppose you're a dog kennel. You can't delete the customer's account while you have their dog in your possession. Suppose you're the parole division of the police department. Can the "customer" delete their "account"? This is the problem with dict…

Just create a separate "online account" that links to the other database.

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#397

Post by dynamite-ready » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 6:01 AM UTC

Of all the edicts Apple forces upon app developers, this is about the only one I agree with. I allow users to do this on my webapp, quixical.com. I wish more companies respected the 'right to be forgotten'.

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#398

Post by pikseladam » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 6:02 AM UTC

Thank you

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#399

Post by sandGorgon » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 6:03 AM UTC

what happens with credit card apps ? because once u create a bank account - u cant just delete the credit card. the history is still maintained and the credit bureau pushes still happen.

anyone know ?

Re: Apple requires account deletion within apps in AppStore starting January 31

#400

Post by ajb » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 6:03 AM UTC

matt_heimer wrote: post #276

ajb wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's been so bad that there are now gyms which have 'easy cancel' as a selling point. Pure Gym (UK) allows you to cancel by just stopping the payment (they call this "No contract" which is legally illiterate, but whatever). Ironically my bank was suspicious about me when I did it.

That's not 'easy cancel', they've kept difficult cancelation but outsourced the responsibility (at no cost to themselves) to your bank.

Nah, it was. Much less stressful than some salesman trying to string it out until I give in. Bank guy asked 1 question then actioned it. With another bank it would probably be 2 clicks.