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Yesterday, on my iPad on iPadOS 16 homescreen - my weather and top stories Widget's started spamming me with Apple advertising, not making this up - started with my weather Widget showing highlights from the App store. Have to say I was stunned by this.

So I selected the weather Widget - off to the right of the tile it offered the option to not give highlights for App Store (or something to that effect)...so I did that and thought thank god that is done...then it started showing highlights for something else instead of just displaying the weather...so I deleted it.

Then my Top Stories Widget started doing the exact same thing - highlights from iPad App Store...at this point I just deleted the Widget as well as my contact Widget. Will probably re-add them and give it another chance, but won't put up with my Widgets giving me advertising - I was horrified by Samsungware advertising in the past and this is rather alot like it. Tim needs to kill the whole division before it they just become a "private" version of Google / Samsung.
 
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I have, surprisingly enough, found out that my house key has the details required to unlock MY HOUSE! How is it that houses have been made this way for so long? Every house requires a single use lock that requires a trust relationship between your house and a JIT key maker. Without that, your house IS NOT SAFE!
 
So funny seeing people offended by the idea of their favourite multibillion dollar company doing something that benefits them more than their customers.
 
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can be linked directly to a specific user, including their name, date of birth, email, and associated information stored on iCloud

Doesn't mean it IS linked. Context is everything and it’s only a guess at this stage. It’s a nothing story at this point.
According to these “security researchers”, your phone is only secure if it’s off and not being used. Of course, that prevents it from being USEFUL, but they’re only interested in their sensationalism. ;)
 
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Interesting find - security researchers are not praised enough, hopefully Apple increases the bug bounty program as the new website is nice but doesn't do much.
Security researchers and international spies are not praised enough. But, that’s because if they’re good, you don’t know that they are what they are OR what they’ve done.

These guys? Eh, not so much. Anyone that gets into security research for the lights, glamor, and accolades are in the wrong business. :)
 
Sure. But this is a number that is available Through security tunnelling of some kind that links an App Store query to an iCloud number. What is actually the problem here?
There’s no problem. There’s enough smoke here for those that MUST see a problem in EVERYTHING Apple does, but, for them, even “Apple existing on the stock exchange” is enough to se a problem with.

They see a problem in “Apple exists”. :)
 
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To clarify. I trust that they intend to do what they say, but sometimes they make mistakes that are not intentional.
I trust that they intend to do what they say AND I trust that “security researchers” will always present falsehoods and vague information about Apple as some reason to be concerned. There’s literally no downside to the “security researchers” doing this as what they say is “technically” correct (no one can say what they’re saying is incorrect). But, the way they’re connecting the dots is disingenuous at best and disinformation at worst.

In the end, the ONLY thing of value to a “security researcher” sharing their information on social media is that it attains the widest reach as possible. Understanding this, it’s fairly easy to discount anything from Mysk based on this and the other stories posted by them to social media.
 
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I'm starting to think 'security through obscurity' is actually a really bad idea.
Security through obscurity is what keeps your car and your living area secure. Just the simple fact that the way to open your house and car are available BUT kept hidden by you is a powerful enough to not require much else.
 
Tough day for iCloud based on this and others having random peoples pictures/videos showing up in their libraries.
 
can be linked directly to a specific user, including their name, date of birth, email, and associated information stored on iCloud

Doesn't mean it IS linked. Context is everything and it’s only a guess at this stage. It’s a nothing story at this point.
Damn you really doing all kinds of acrobatics to defend apple when they are in the wrong. "Privacy" lol. Apple is getting as bad as Google/Meta and the like.
 
So Apple may have lied or perhaps just “fudged” the truth a little when they said they couldn’t identify users? If true, that would be a little bit disappointing that Apple would claim something that was untrue.
 
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I always turn off device analytics. There's no reason to upload personal usage data to Apple, especially as it can increase your exposure to security issues.

+1

Just updated to iOS 16.1.1 coming from 15.7.1. Again the Q was asked to send device analytics: A = NO!

Of course I can’t check if the toggle possible works in reversed mode..

OFF = ON
 
Where does it say that Apple are linking a persons id and details to the cloud?
So your position is Apple built this into the system, hidden from public knowledge and not turned off as expected as an exercise? Now that's distortion field set to max.
 
How many more examples do you need before you wake up to the fact that Apple has let us down MULTIPLE times?
I'm not sure Apple let us down, majority don't read T&C documents and base "knowledge" about how this all works on clever marketing written by Apple and most companies they do business with. cough... FTX, BlockFi, and others... cough
 
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So your position is Apple built this into the system, hidden from public knowledge and not turned off as expected as an exercise? Now that's distortion field set to max.
That’s a paranoid look at things. No I said and meant nothing like that. Maybe you should re read what I wrote and take it on face value instead of distorting what I said for your own bias.
 
So Apple may have lied or perhaps just “fudged” the truth a little when they said they couldn’t identify users? If true, that would be a little bit disappointing that Apple would claim something that was untrue.
OR… orrr… the “security researcher” fudged the truth a little when they said they COULD identify users? This is the same researcher that said that VPN still works even when lockdown is enabled when lockdown has nothing to do with lockdown. Next report… “If you use the camera app to take a selfie, IT CAPTURES AN IMAGE OF YOUR FACE! Who knows what happens after that, but I suggest that Apple sends it DIRECTLY to your third grade teacher and an FBI Agent named ‘Clyde’. Because they ’could’ do it, it means they’re definitely doing it!”

I benefits the “security researcher” to be as sensational as possible about something that’s really “the way technology works”. Because, the more wild they make it sound, the more broadly it gets communicated.
 
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