Wouldn’t expect anything less from
a Chinese app. Just imagine all the data that has been stolen from this.
a Chinese app. Just imagine all the data that has been stolen from this.
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TikTok App to Stop Accessing User Clipboards After Being Caught in the Act by iOS 14
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Did you see the list of apps doing the same thing? But sure, let's blame China...
Even if you did assent to an app accessing your clipboard and thought that it was all right, is there ever any guarantee that the app will not use your clipboard data for potentially malicious purposes?
In the end, it's all about trust. We can restrict apps from doing things, and Apple has wisely made it easier or users to recognize that apps do have control over what components of their system an app is accessing. However, there is always a risk inherent in using any kind of software, or entrusting your personal information to any kind of system, whether it be the OS or the apps that run on it.
I'm not condoning what TikTok did by any means (and I have no interest in installing their app), but I'm saying that at some point in time, you need to trust someone, and hope that they didn't make bad or potentially harmful decisions. Either that, or simply don't use the apps and don't use the technology, which is another choice available to us all.
In the end, it's all about trust. We can restrict apps from doing things, and Apple has wisely made it easier or users to recognize that apps do have control over what components of their system an app is accessing. However, there is always a risk inherent in using any kind of software, or entrusting your personal information to any kind of system, whether it be the OS or the apps that run on it.
I'm not condoning what TikTok did by any means (and I have no interest in installing their app), but I'm saying that at some point in time, you need to trust someone, and hope that they didn't make bad or potentially harmful decisions. Either that, or simply don't use the apps and don't use the technology, which is another choice available to us all.
Chinese-based app reading all your data? I see no problem there............
I guess the question is, would you as a user understand why that app needs access to the clipboard? Without knowing what the app is doing and why that access is required, there is really no basis to make a judgment. I would venture that many apps have a legitimate reason for using the clipboard. When I develop AppleScripts, for instance, I require access to the clipboard, because that is often the most logical and expedient way to pass data between apps and documents. There may be some legit reasons for iOS/iPadOS apps to do the same, such as automatically filling out forms or text fields. The point is that you wouldn't know, without looking at the runtime code. At some point in time, you just have to either decide to accept it or not, and hope that your denial doesn't break things.
Makes a good case for installing ios 14 on my primary device. Probably wait until at least beta 3 though...sometime in July or August.
With the way the API works, apps require access to the clipboard to make the "Paste" button work. That's the main legitimate reason. Apple can't make Paste work but disallow "automatic" access to the clipboard, because it can't distinguish the two cases. Unless they redesign the API and break every app that currently lets you paste text.
I think a lot of people are confounding race with corporate origin, capital base and corporate locality. What is a "Chinese company"? A U.S.-funded corporation with 60% of their developers being from foreign ancestry is not the same thing as a Chinese-funded corporation with the same.
We might need to be more careful when we are talking about "Chinese companies." For instance, specify whether we are talking about those that are funded by business entities within China (whose revenue is largely derived from consumers within China), businesses located within China but which are largely funded by foreign (i.e., non-Chinese) firms, those whose developers are largely based out of China (irrespective of their own nationality)... shall I go on? The situation is a lot more complex than we think it is.
We might need to be more careful when we are talking about "Chinese companies." For instance, specify whether we are talking about those that are funded by business entities within China (whose revenue is largely derived from consumers within China), businesses located within China but which are largely funded by foreign (i.e., non-Chinese) firms, those whose developers are largely based out of China (irrespective of their own nationality)... shall I go on? The situation is a lot more complex than we think it is.
Feature, huh?
A new feature in iOS 14 alerts users when apps read the clipboard, and it turns out some apps have been reading clipboard data excessively.
Image via Jeremy Burge
TikTok users who upgraded to iOS 14, for example, quickly noticed constant alerts warning them that TikTok was accessing the clipboard every few seconds. After being caught, TikTok now says that it's removing the feature.
In a statement to The Telegraph, TikTok said that it accessed the clipboard to identify spammy behavior.
An update to remove the feature has already been submitted to the App Store, and a download of the new update confirms that TikTok no longer appears to be accessing the clipboard.
TikTok did not say whether the feature would be removed from Android devices, nor whether clipboard data was ever stored or moved from user devices. Other apps have also been called out for reading the clipboard, including Starbucks, Overstock, AccuWeather, several news apps, and more.
Prior to when iOS 14 was released, a pair of developers sounded an alarm letting users and Apple know that iPhone and iPad apps were quietly accessing the clipboard. Apple's new iOS 14 feature appears to have been added in response, and apps are no longer able to read the clipboard without users knowing exactly what's going on.
iOS 14 is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to release a public beta version next month ahead of the software's fall launch. Clipboard reporting is just one of the many new privacy features in iOS 14, with a full list available in our iOS 14 roundup.
Article Link: TikTok App to Stop Accessing User Clipboards After Being Caught in the Act by iOS 14
What makes you think this is about race? China isn't a race, they are a country with an authoritarian regime in place that is reportedly very, very willing to compromise privacy and interfere with cooperate operations (among other things). But yeah, just take out the racism hammer on every occasion that seems even vaguely in the category.
There’s a little something in that list to fit everyone’s personal bias!
Yes. Why would it not be a feature?
So if Apple can allow apps to have access to the clipboard, to what else has Apple allowed apps to access? I mean, doesn’t this feature expose iOS vulnerabilities to user data more than the story being about TikTok? How many years and apps have been doing this before a four-day-old beta exposed this? And does this really matter anyway since the data supposedly can’t be tied back to a specific user?
UPS offers to search for a tracking number. Google maps autofills in an address you copied. Chrome gives you a 1 button click to do a google search using your clipboard, Reddit opens a page if you copied a Reddit url, etc.....
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Who else thinks that Facebook is now scrambling around looking for ways to fix their Facebook and Instagram apps before they get caught?
It's actually a feature. For example, Chrome accesses your clipboard before you paste a link to save you the trouble of having to one tap the screen. Granted, developers should let you know and allow you to turn the feature off but let's not blow this thing out of proportion and think any access to your clipboard is solely meant to invade your privacy.
I hope so. The clipboard has always been a concern for me. So many people copy sensitive information to the clipboard.
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This is not being blown out of proportion. The user needs control over what apps can access the clipboard.
I’m proud to say I’ve never downloaded or use Tik Tok