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

[1050792]

Actually, if you only used Apps from Apple, you wouldn't have this issue. But we both know that isn't the case with most people. Also, I would be surprised if this is even mentioned in the TOS, which is different from their Privacy Statement, from Facebook regarding data sharing. So to the unsuspecting user of these apps, no knowing their data is being compromised/shared is probably the case.

I would be curious to know if the data from the app or website/webapp is being sent back via a back end connection between the two/three/ or more apps outside of the apps all together. So they are in essence bypassing all of the items in question. Once Facebook gets the info on the back end then they use it. So if there is data sharing going on that way, Apple would have no way to control the stream of information. But if they are doing it via app to app directly in the open! Yikes.

What's the point of using an already locked unsecure system with only Apple apps?

 

[Heineken]

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.

Indeed. It will be a big headache for Apple. I don't think they knew developers are such *****.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

be damned....

Thank you.

 

[coolfactor]

Woof, and people keep talking about the walled garden protecting them

Convenient for you. Nice way to twist things around. Walls can be scaled. The walls do protect (except T.Rump's wall). Apple should not be held responsible here. Consumers demand more and more functionality. Apple finds a healthy balance of security and convenience, and then people complain when that convenience is used against them, as if it's Apple's fault? No. Check your facts.

 

[69Mustang]

Not so much

 

[JagdTiger]

I really hoped the Cambridge Analytica scandal would finally do for Zuckerberg and his despicable company but no, they’re like a post-nuclear holocaust cockroach and the majority of humans don’t have the stomach to crunch them underfoot.

Catnip essential oils will do it and mosquitoes too!, need to be diffused in or near area to work.

 

[coolfactor]

Block all ******** apple. No other way.

Facebook is evil and Apple shouldn’t allow whatever is happening here.

Intelligence at its finest. It's okay, we forgive both of you.

These malicious apps are likely using *open* protocols to send information to Facebook, such as an HTML Form post. Facebook and other companies use the industry-standard REST protocol, which are built on top of HTTP, and these are the protocols that make the World-Wide Web what it is. If Apple were to block every request coming out of an app, it would literally break web access on the device.

The only solution here are rules and regulations. I'm glad these apps are being publicly exposed. They are abusing consumer trust.

 

[Mick-Mac]

This whole privacy thing runs far deeper than just deleting your FB account. When all the *free* software from Google, FaceBook, MySpace etc. came out I realized instantly what the implications were and never signed up with any of them. I do have an AppleID and use their mail service because (so far) they seem to be the only ones defending and protecting your data BUT it doesn't matter. My emails might exist on Apple's servers and I can take some comfort in knowing they won't hand everything over when asked, but those same emails exist on other non-Apple servers all over the world because the people I emailed weren't Apple customers. Just because Apple won't hand over my data doesn't mean it's not out there and freely available. EVERYBODY needs to be on-board with privacy, otherwise there's effectively no protection. Your data is worth a lot of money - it is the source of all the staggering troves of money FB and Google etc. have. There's just way too much incentive to keep this going, and so long as politicians can be influenced we're in this for the long term.

 

[coolfactor]

I really hoped the Cambridge Analytica scandal would finally do for Zuckerberg and his despicable company but no, they’re like a post-nuclear holocaust cockroach and the majority of humans don’t have the stomach to crunch them underfoot.

My question is — why are these companies pushing data to Facebook? Who is benefiting? Facebook is playing the innocent card, as if they are not aware of this, so are they benefiting somehow? Is the data fed into ad-tracking tech? Is there a commission payment going from Facebook to these apps?

 

[Heineken]

Intelligence at its finest. It's okay, we forgive both of you.

These malicious apps are likely using *open* protocols to send information to Facebook, such as an HTML Form post. Facebook and other companies use the industry-standard REST protocol, which are built on top of HTTP, and these are the protocols that make the World-Wide Web what it is. If Apple were to block every request coming out of an app, it would literally break web access on the device.

The only solution here are rules and regulations. I'm glad these apps are being publicly exposed. They are abusing consumer trust.

Block requests? This is not kindergarten. These apps should be banned from app store until they remove this ****. Period.

 

[Uplift]

Are the wording and title a little misleading?

The article makes it sounds like Facebook collects the data, I guess that's true, but what's actually happening is the app developers are using Facebook for their analytics, they're choosing what to send there... Facebook just provides the platform, like Google.. sure they use that data, but in this very specific case, I don't see how Facebook is at fault?

I should add that I hate Facebook and everything about it, I don't use it personally (only for work), I know they're data harvesting everything about anyone and I know they're unethical as ****, but unless I've missed something, I don't see why Facebook is getting the backlash in this case?

 

[coolfactor]

Block requests? This is not kindergarten. These apps should be banned from app store until they remove this ****. Period.

You're right, because they (the app developers) are breaking the rules. But those calling for Apple to be punished for this are suggesting that somehow Apple is responsible for what these developers are doing... that somehow Apple *could* manage this malicious activity. One way, technically, would be for Apple to forbid outgoing form posts from these apps. That's technically possible, but putting such a block in place would likely have unintended consequences. It would be difficult to enforce and would compromise the functionality of apps because there are legitimate reasons to allow such form posts.

 

[Heineken]

You're right, because they (the app developers) are breaking the rules. But those calling for Apple to be punished for this are suggesting that somehow Apple is responsible for what these developers are doing... that somehow Apple *could* manage this malicious activity. One way, technically, would be for Apple to forbid outgoing form posts from these apps. That's technically possible, but putting such a block in place would likely have unintended consequences. It would be difficult to enforce and would compromise the functionality of apps because there are legitimate reasons to allow such form posts.

Yes, it's a huge headache for Apple. They can't request to show source code and other methods are not 100% effective filtering this stuff or take too much time.

 

[coolfactor]

I have nothing to do with Facebook. But there are three Facebook cookies in the bowels of Safari. If I delete them, Safari (read "Apple") recreates them immediately without subsequently going to any website.

Can someone tell my why Apple, the privacy advocates, shove Zuckerberg's cookies down my digital throat?

Safari is not recreating them. Likely some ad on a page you are viewing is creating them. Apple is not at fault here. Your knowledge about how this all works is flawed, and your blame is misplaced. Cookies don't magically create themselves.

Apple (read "Safari") has and continues to strength its privacy rules with web activity. A soon-to-be-released update tightens up cookie management even further, well beyond what other browsers are doing for you, all in the name of protecting your privacy. It's the content creators that are trying to get around these rules, not Apple.

 

[len5]

If you haven't realized by now that Zuckerberg is a card carrying CREEPER and people that continue to use Fakebook deserve what they get.

 

[Cosmosent]

RE: "Apple in the future could introduce more stringent guidelines and policy controls that would better put a stop to this kind of intrusive data harvesting."

That won't do squat, & AAPL won't do squat, NOT under Tim Cook !

Cook just had his chance to do something with both FB & GOOG, & he punted ... his message to FB & GOOG was received Loud & Clear by them & ALL others, "Thank you sir, may I have another "

Under Cook, AAPL doesn't like to fix things that are broken, EXCEPT if they get ALOT of public attention.

Another example is the Perf Ctrl in A11 & A12.

 

[mikethemartian]

That's the way facebook would like you to frame the issue.

The problem is Facebook Is Evil.
[doublepost=1550858409][/doublepost]

How is Apple supposed to prevent this? Spend a week analyzing each release of each app, after it has been released (because developers can change the behavior on-the-fly by building in date checks or server checks), and from random coffee shops (because developers can detect Apple's IP range and prevent bad behavior while the reviewers are reviewing the app)?

Maybe they could just notify Apple customers that these breaches may occur and not overstate how well Apple protects their users.

 

[len5]

Facebook is freakin creepy.


Stop using it people. Just stop.

The massive amount of people using Facebook is what has allowed it to garner this type of power with third parties. Facebook continues to have massive scandals and the same people who are outraged go and check on it two minutes later. People need to stop using it, delete their accounts, and eventually it will not have this kind of power.

Unfortunately people talk big in condemning this but they will keep using Fakebook no matter what they do. They will give the same excuses like I need it for work or all my friends are on it blah blah blah. People nowadays have no balls and Zuckerberg and his pervs know this all to well.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

This whole privacy thing runs far deeper than just deleting your FB account. When all the *free* software from Google, FaceBook, MySpace etc. came out I realized instantly what the implications were and never signed up with any of them. I do have an AppleID and use their mail service because (so far) they seem to be the only ones defending and protecting your data BUT it doesn't matter. My emails might exist on Apple's servers and I can take some comfort in knowing they won't hand everything over when asked, but those same emails exist on other non-Apple servers all over the world because the people I emailed weren't Apple customers. Just because Apple won't hand over my data doesn't mean it's not out there and freely available. EVERYBODY needs to be on-board with privacy, otherwise there's effectively no protection. Your data is worth a lot of money - it is the source of all the staggering troves of money FB and Google etc. have. There's just way too much incentive to keep this going, and so long as politicians can be influenced we're in this for the long term.

Apple does hand over your mail data / this was exposed years ago!
Apple was even hacked by a script kiddie recently

Yeah, that whole FBI thing was just a publicity stunt.

What this article should be highlighting is just how much information third-party companies can harvest from us at any given point, even when using innocuous applications. These are worrying subtleties that can innocently masquerade as something else, not glaringly obvious actions that Apple happily wave through QA.

But sure, use the opportunity to write yet another anti-Apple diatribe to add to your overwhelmingly negative post history, rather than entertain a reasonable discussion.

Aehm, am not negative ... I do nothing ... Apple does all this things ... or does things not - if You like. I am a nice boy always toggling the switches apple gives me to OFF. Apple tells me my data stays on the phone, apple says they have implemented that privacy toogles, where I can decide / I use them, apple says they have this guideliness for the heavily walled app store / i (dont) trust,

AND finally nearly every month comes a more creepy aricle saying what all happens behind my back without even knowing that exists / and am a forum follower as You mentioned

AND now You dare telling me am „mostly“ negative / thats funny!

I love You for that comment = it makes me smile how crazy everything has become at least for certain people!

 

[acorntoy]

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.

If they’re using Facebook, they have other ways to connect and they have the ability to use other ways. Facebook is just the most ingrained now. However with the problems it’s starting to present, I think it is worth a little extra effort to avoid it.

“Grandma your starting to not only compromise your own privacy but millions of other people’s who don’t even use this service because you using it gives it power”

 

[Glideslope]

I don’t care what device or platform one is using. Facebook in a cancer upon humanity, and needs to be regulated. People live in their devices due to this malignant app.

 

[I7guy]

RE: "Apple in the future could introduce more stringent guidelines and policy controls that would better put a stop to this kind of intrusive data harvesting."

That won't do squat, & AAPL won't do squat, NOT under Tim Cook !

Cook just had his chance to do something with both FB & GOOG, & he punted ... his message to FB & GOOG was received Loud & Clear by them & ALL others, "Thank you sir, may I have another "

Under Cook, AAPL doesn't like to fix things that are broken, EXCEPT if they get ALOT of public attention.

Another example is the Perf Ctrl in A11 & A12.

I think your opinion is incorrect. Data harvesting is s sneaky business but you don’t want to throw the bath water out with the baby. But IMO, some additional controls or guidelines will be put in place.

And you are wrong about apple not fixing things.

 

[LordVic]

Facebook time and time and time again keeps proving why they are completely untrustworthy with any kind of data.

 

[Will do good]

Delete all those apps mentioned and specially Facebook.

 

[jedy]

With desktop and mobile browsers you can use tracker and ad blockers and there will be a number of settings for privacy (not suggesting doing all this is guaranteed total safety). Apps have none of these which is probably why they’re encouraged. People are lazy as they permanently sign into apps for convenience. Who really knows what information is being gathered by them. I have, in recent years limited the number of apps I install, especially ones that need the internet to function as I don’t trust them. People shouldn’t be surprised Facebook is gathering data from apps.

 

[macsba]

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.

Here's the big situation for you: One isn't a member of facebook but the apps still relay the private data to facebook. So, facebook is getting the data by the apps from non-members. That's really scary.