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Apps Are Using Background App Refresh to Send Data to Tracking Companies
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That's IT! I'm switching to Android where I'll be safe from tracking!
Just turn stuff off that's 'convenient' I never use an iPhone unless my rules are followed first. Which is
- Turn off Background app. individually AND then main switch, as i don't even trust the all-in-one will disable everything.
- Go through and disable Siri completely and turn off siri & suggestions for ALL installed apps, which take time depending on the number installed. (If you've even had to disable Privacy setting on Windows 10, you'll know what i mean)
- Turn off all features like iMessage/Facetime/Screen Time/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Personal hotspot etc. and disable mobile app access to apps i do not want permission.. Don't use Location services, etc
And that's all BEFORE i start using the phone. (phew!)
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The point is clear. Apple is selling hardware, 31 billion is data point. Google mines user data and sells them ads that makes google about 30 billion last quarter.
Is that difficult to follow?
If apple was tracking and selling information like google we would see it in the balance sheet like we do for google.
Is that too difficult as well?
Google mines users gmail account, another thing apple doesn’t do.
OF COURSE GOOGLE TRACKS YOUR PURCHASE HISTORY USING GMAIL — IT TRACKS EVERYTHING
https://understandblogz.com/2019/05...ase-history-using-gmail-it-tracks-everything/
Do you think Gmail users gave their consent?
If it’s not relevant, then what phone do you use?
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Google is a rich company, why do I not see people sue google for selling their data? Yet I see apple being sued all the time https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-sued-by-itunes-customers-over-alleged-data-misuse/
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Where are the lawsuits against google if they did not have the users consent?
Maybe Apple gets sued more because there is a physical item in your hand. The suit you referenced used the word “alleged”.
When this latest incarnation of money-losing unicorns implodes, what will become of the petabytes of data they collected from hundreds of millions of customers? Will it be sold at the bankruptcy auctions and end up in Beijing or Prague?
If your a gmail user check yourself, did you give google consent?
https://myaccount.google.com/purchases
There a much more in the story. Like how it’s impossible to turn off:
“Except you can’t. Google’s activity controls page doesn’t give you any ability to manage the data it stores on Purchases.
Google told CNBC you can turn off the tracking entirely, but you have to go to another page for search setting preferences. However, when CNBC tried this, it didn’t work -- there was no such option to fully turn off the tracking. It’s weird this isn’t front and center on Google’s new privacy pages or even in Google’s privacy checkup feature.”
Google uses Gmail to track a history of things you buy — and it’s hard to delete
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/17/google-gmail-tracks-purchase-history-how-to-delete-it.html
I in fact deleted it. I used both Apple Music and Spotify; Apple as my main music streaming service, Spotify to follow some of my friends and notable users with great musical taste.
I have no issue with a company I have an explicit relationship with, collecting data on me to help deliver a better service. On the other hand, I do not want that company selling my data to third parties who have no direct relationship with me, have no interest in protecting my data and whose only purpose is to use my data to generate revenue for themselves.
This is why I stopped using Google products. Their sole purpose as a company is to monetize user data. At least they're fairly open about it. Now, Spotify sneakily sending my data to some third parties I've never heard of, now that's pretty fricken sketchy. Deleted.
If the truth is revealed that apple does the same, would you drop apple ? Apple is being sued for selling user data ( https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-sued-by-itunes-customers-over-alleged-data-misuse/ ) and the claims are very specific (like the exact amount you need to pay to buy the data from apple.)
Not sure how come this can be a news, since it's an intended function from day 1.
Background App Refresh ensures apps remaining active when not in foreground. You're doing that because you wish these apps to keep updated when you're not using it. For an internet based app, "keep updated" means that it will connect to internet to collect data, and connecting to internet means that the server will know what you're doing. So this this story is basically claiming that ordering pizza will leak your privacy like name and home address to the delivery boy.
The only problem here is what kind of data they're sharing and whether the users had permitted that in the beginning, which is conveniently missing in this story. Unless they're sharing info that is irrelevant to the service without authorization, I can't find anything wrong about that.
Background App Refresh ensures apps remaining active when not in foreground. You're doing that because you wish these apps to keep updated when you're not using it. For an internet based app, "keep updated" means that it will connect to internet to collect data, and connecting to internet means that the server will know what you're doing. So this this story is basically claiming that ordering pizza will leak your privacy like name and home address to the delivery boy.
The only problem here is what kind of data they're sharing and whether the users had permitted that in the beginning, which is conveniently missing in this story. Unless they're sharing info that is irrelevant to the service without authorization, I can't find anything wrong about that.
Before I answer this question I want to see the outcome of the trial. But if the truth be told going to a platform that is shown to send more data out than Apple does not really serve me.
But if the allegations are dismissed will you stop criticizing Apple?
My guy, you're going to have to delete way more than just Spotify if you want your data to stop being sent to 3rd parties.
I mostly agree with you, and only have background refresh on for connecting to a continuous glucose monitor (medical device), but off for just about everything else. Also have location services disabled for most apps, or "while using" for apps where knowing the location is critical to basic functionality (maps, UBER etc).
If an app has Always location permission, then it could get your location. You could set the permission to While Using to avoid that. Other than that, I’m not sure what data an app could get when it gets some execution time at 3 a.m. that would be useful from a user tracking / privacy invasion standpoint. All the usual sandbox safeguards are in place in the background just as they are in the foreground.
But again. If some app is collecting data you don’t like in the background, then that app is also collecting the same data and more of it when it runs in the foreground. Deleting intrusive apps is the solution, not disabling background fetch. IMHO
dont be paranoid.
For developers is always important to get data, in the form of exceptions thrown on the app, or any statistics like how often you use a certain feature eg to do A/B testing, or metrics on what features get used the most or which are not used at all. It helps the developer know in what areas the app needs improvement.
and yes that can happen on the background too, there could be a legit reason to gather information on the background.
For developers is always important to get data, in the form of exceptions thrown on the app, or any statistics like how often you use a certain feature eg to do A/B testing, or metrics on what features get used the most or which are not used at all. It helps the developer know in what areas the app needs improvement.
and yes that can happen on the background too, there could be a legit reason to gather information on the background.
So then it’s only your carrier selling data. To me your routine is over the top but if it works for you.
You forgot government tapping into your lines as well. The people who are paranoid about privacy and security will also be the ones that get screwed the most.
I’d like to see people turn that off
Phew, I'm glad I have a #Privacy iPhone - Thanks Tim Cook! Oh no, wait...
As a fairly technical user, though not in the programming field, I have to say I'm actually quite surprised by this, I thought that Apple blocked this kind of shenanigans during app review...
As a fairly technical user, though not in the programming field, I have to say I'm actually quite surprised by this, I thought that Apple blocked this kind of shenanigans during app review...
I’m genuinely curious as to why you would install WiFi in a church? Are people on their smartphones during a service? As an atheist I have no idea what I’m talking about, but I would expect people to interface with their god instead of their phones. Or does it have practical or safety reasons?
Pretty clear you didn’t read anything about this lawsuit. That’s the only explanation I could come up with as to why you have so many things flat out wrong.
Apple isn’t providing any of this data. All the things they claim to give you (emails, real name, phone number, address) are inaccessible to App developers. So even if a shady App made it into The App Store it still couldn’t get this information. Which means it didn’t come from Apple.
Further, the people charging for this data are a separate company, not Apple. Which makes your last statement “the exact amount you need to pay to buy the data from apple” 100% false. Why do you bother posting something that’s clearly incorrect?
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How can Apple block this? If you install an App and give it permission to access something like Contacts, then how can Apple stop the App from passing that information along to their server? Likewise, if you sign up for an account in the App you’re giving information about yourself willingly to the App, which could then end up off your device. Or if you give your phone number to an App so they can send you a verification code to activate your account.
If Apple were to start blocking the ability for Apps to send data back to their servers it would break the functionality of Apps that legitimately need to do this. If Apple started selectively blocking this for some Apps and not others they’ll be accused of discrimination or censorship.
Basically whatever Apple does or doesn’t do they’ll be criticized for it.
This happens when you use privacy as a one of your top selling points for your services.
Even though it's unrealistic for Apple to protect every facet of a consumer, I think most consumers are not technically literate enough to understand how that's not possible.