Apple Responds to Report on iOS 13's Frequent Location Tracking Reminders, Emphasizes Privacy

[Khedron]

The fact that Apple doesn't respect the user selection of "Always allow" reveals the true purpose of this notification, which is more about Apple advertising its commitment to privacy rather than than actually following through on that.

When anyone else forces notifications that return regardless of your choice it's called spam.
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I never get that with Apple Maps. I don't know why people still choose Google Maps over Apple Maps. Honestly.

Apple excludes its own apps from having to follow App Store and privacy rules.

 

[Taipan]

If I select always allow, I don't need nanny Apple to remind me every few days. I'm not an idiot [though they think all their users are].

I wonder how far off they are with that assumption. Seriously!

 

[Bandaman]

This feature isn't only used to invade privacy.

For example I have an app that sends a push notification ahead of any severe weather events. This works in part by tracking your location in the background to compare to local radar stations.

Because it's installed on all three of my iOS devices I have to repeatedly acknowledge that I'm fine with it having access to my location in the background.

Yes, that is annoying and they need to tweak this feature a bit.

 

[Sakurambo-kun]

Frankly these pop-ups drive me nuts. When I ALWAYS allow an app to access my location, that means always. Always. Always. Never, ever, ever ask me again until the end of time. That's what always means.

This nannying behaviour from Apple is infuriating and totally counter productive. It's a really simple thing for me - when I tell a device to do something I expect it to do it. No questions asked.

 

[dk001]

The issue is that even if your direct identity is anonymized, people can work out your identity, based on things like work locations and travel patterns.

NYT Investigation Reveals How Easily Smartphone Location Data Can Be Used to Identify and Track Individuals

The New York Times today claimed that it has obtained a file with the precise location of over 12 million smartphones over a period of several months...

www.macrumors.com

There isn't evidence either way, but one could imagine correlating tracking data with the times or IP addresses of e-mail logins, or store accesses, and working back from there.

Or from your provider ...
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I think Apple could dial the notifications back a bit, to say one per week. Hitting a button four times a month doesn’t seem too burdensome (to me) 🤷‍♂️

If it was just one item.

 

[I7guy]

The fact that Apple doesn't respect the user selection of "Always allow" reveals the true purpose of this notification, which is more about Apple advertising its commitment to privacy rather than than actually following through on that.

When anyone else forces notifications that return regardless of your choice it's called spam

Actually it’s about advertising and privacy. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

At least one other person in this thread said the “spam” was useful. Where there is one there is more.

Apple excludes its own apps from having to follow App Store and privacy rules.

And? Just like Microsoft excludes its programs from certain things.

 

[lilkwarrior]

Does it not bother you all that Apple is misleading users that 'always allow' doesn't work as it should? If I press 'always allow', I mean it—ESPECIALLY for health-related apps.

That seemed to have went over people's heads praising Apple's good intentions but not their poor execution.

 

[DeepIn2U]

This almost reminds me of Windows Vista and their crappy implementation of the UAC dialog.

If I select always allow, I don't need nanny Apple to remind me every few days. I'm not an idiot [though they think all their users are].

so tell me how would you fully determine which apps are consistent using your location even when not launched? Would you simply go into settings and location or privacy?

if you don’t like Thai’s security practice why not jump over to Android where their users surely are not idiots likewise yet non have a proper, repeatable, mythological way of determine what services are related to which feature or features in an app and how to correctly disable them.

 

[sdf]

Apple is doing extremely detailed tracking with no user control or (most concerning) visibility.

Please stop. Apple documents what they do and why. Someone being ignorant of it doesn't mean they're not transparent and visible about it.

 

[dk001]

Please stop. Apple documents what they do and why. Someone being ignorant of it doesn't mean they're not transparent and visible about it.

Document?
They do. They also tell us about it when they feel like it and share beyond that even less or when forced.
Never forget we are the customer and generally Apple treats us like idiots.

 

[stevet]

How is this “Apple monetizing the user’s location”?

typo, meant isn’t.

 

[Treq]

I just went through all my privacy settings including location data. So this feature at least reminded me to do that so it's a positive in my book. I also discovered that I have exactly one app that I have given permission to always allow and I think I got a notification a couple weeks ago, and haven't heard from it since. There were also a couple alerts about apps that I didn't remember setting to always allow that popped around that time which I switched to only while using the app. So this feature has already helped me. I like it.

 

[ElioLugaru]

I never get that with Apple Maps. I don't know why people still choose Google Maps over Apple Maps. Honestly.

Because Google Maps is better. Apple Maps suck honestly.

 

[Zance]

As far as I understand from his post, he's definitely upset with the reminder popup and would like the "Always Allow" settings to be set for an App once for all without being reminded about it periodically. He clearly knows how to set the option itself, but this doesn't stop the reminder popup from regularly popping.

If your suggestion does nothing in regards of the reminder popup his problem remains.

There are two separate problems. 1, the periodic pop ups and 2, the wi-fi turning itself back on in the morning
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Because Google Maps is better. Apple Maps suck honestly.

Serious question: what about it is better? And when is the last time you used Apple Maps?

Recently, I did some driving for Lyft and was forced to use the Google Maps app. The only thing it did better that I liked was show the currently playing track from the music app. Other than, it seemed really slow to react to changes in directions (I sometimes missed a turn or decided to take a different route).

Been using Apple Maps since it was re-done and it's been much better. Not perfect, but pretty great.