Some iOS Apps Sending an Alarming Amount of Data to Facebook and Most Users Are Unaware

[racerhomie]

Facebook has more money than you. Facebook spent ~$12.5 million on lobbying politicians. Congress doesn't care.

True, but we have to try.

 

[639051]

Facebook needs to die. Full stop, just die.

 

[Heineken]

A VPN does not block adds.

Depends on what kind of ads. I use Windscribe and it blocks all website ads, trackers you name it. The ones on the apps are another story, however.

 

[iGeneo]

It is strange that I purchased Adguard for MAC yesterday.

I heard about Brave Browser, seemed to do very well on my Mac. Haven't tried their iOS version yet

 

[budselectjr]

It is strange that I purchased Adguard for MAC yesterday. I'm hoping to stop social media tracking will be stopped. Won't help me on my iPhone. Is there anything we can do for iPhone/iPad?

If the companies are freely sharing data with Facebook and it’s going though their servers the only thing you can do is stop using the apps. If the apps are phoning Facebook servers directly you could possibly block those domains through dns blocking.

 

[Freida]

The entire article is not being shown

View attachment 823072

I could read the whole article myself too. (in Canada currently)

 

[blacktape242]

imagine my shock......

 

[iGeneo]

be damned....

 

[thelookingglass]

Germany and China long ago warned about Facebook. One of the reasons China never allow Facebook in China.

OK, sorry, but this is just funny. China doesn't allow Facebook in China because of the threat the sharing of information on such a platform presents. Let's not sit here and pretend that their somehow defenders of data privacy. There's no such thing as data privacy in China.

 

[spacemnspiff]

I can guess who is next, Google !

 

[FireArse]

I find FaceBook’s corporate culture and behaviour utterly disgusting. Closed my account over 12 months ago in protest and haven’t looked back since.

Judge someone by what they do, rather than what they say.

Members of Parliament in the UK are looking to regulate so-classed ‘social media’. It’s no longer social - it’s just an ad company with a facade, spreading fake news.

 

[ArrayDecay]

Stop using it people. Just stop.

That's not so easy when you have a lot of older relatives and that is the only way to stay in touch with them.

 

[Heineken]

The list would be great. I have an itch to delete some garbage.

 

[velocityg4]

I have no doubts that this is a true article- facebook is the new Google when it comes to information harvesting. There's a reason you can visit walmart.com (using a totally separate app) and the very next time you are using facebook, you suddenly have a string of ads from walmart with the very category or related items to what you looked at on walmart.com (or Amazon, or a myriad of other retailers, especially those with their own apps). it is unreal.

BUT - I'm curious - is the WSJ trying to say that Android-based devices are not harvesting sensitive info without explicit permission to do so?

Google unabashedly uses peoples data. Apps misusing data is no news.

Apple touts privacy and is very public about it plus has had some public fights with Facebook. Apps misusing data is news.

 

[639051]

If the companies are freely sharing data with Facebook and it’s going though their servers the only thing you can do is stop using the apps. If the apps are phoning Facebook servers directly you could possibly block those domains through dns blocking.

No the real fix for this is to stop using Facebook. They are complicit in this and and it doesn't matter what you block when you are willingly giving them data by having an account.

 

[AppleMad98004]

Everyone agrees to this if they use Facebook. Just stop, delete Facebook if you don't want the data sent. It really is that simple.

 

[Heineken]

No the real fix for this is to stop using Facebook. They are complicit in this and and it doesn't matter what you block when you are willingly giving them data by having an account.

Even if you are not using Facebook those apps can still feed interesting information to Facebook.

 

[AppleHater]

That's not so easy when you have a lot of older relatives and that is the only way to stay in touch with them.

That's a sad life...

 

[69Mustang]

No the real fix for this is to stop using Facebook. They are complicit in this and and it doesn't matter what you block when you are willingly giving them data by having an account.

Usage of Facebook isn't required for them to get your info. It's right in the article.

 

[639051]

Usage of Facebook isn't required for them to get your info. It's right in the article.

I know that, however not having an account with them is one further step to take. If more and more people did this Facebook wouldn't be the monster they are.

It should go without mention that anyone who used these apps uninstall instantly and leave a 1 star feedback on the app.

 

[iGeneo]

The list would be great. I have an itch to delete some garbage.

The article above (PDF) will show you that they did not provide a list

 

[nwcs]

I'm no lawyer, but those look like HIPPA violations to me. HIPPA violations have some VERY big penalties...

Self disclosure (which is what this is) is not covered by HIPAA.

 

[639051]

That's not so easy when you have a lot of older relatives and that is the only way to stay in touch with them.

Call them?

 

[Heineken]

The article above (PDF) will show you that they did not provide a list

I wonder what is the reason behind it.

 

[t76turbo]

The list would be great. I have an itch to delete some garbage.

Amen. Already deleted realtor.com and the heart rate monitor. Hate to loose the heart rate monitor as I think I paid for that app. But oh well.

Would love to look at others I have downloaded and compare to their list.