TikTok App to Stop Accessing User Clipboards After Being Caught in the Act by iOS 14

matrix07 said:
Then you’re naive.
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Let not blow this thing out of proportion? Do you know what people usually copy to clipboard? Their passwords.
Just because you trust Chrome, it’s fine? Chrome is a major part of the problem. I remember the 1st time I used it years ago and I’m astounded that there were still some parts of it running on my PC even though I explicitly exited the app.
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If you're copying your password, I assume that you're using a password management app. Any good password management app should have a security feature that removes passwords from the clipboard after they are pasted and/or after a certain time period. 1Password has had this feature for a long time.

The way iOS's own native password management works, it's highly improbable that you'd copy and paste the password to the wrong app. If you worry about accidentally paste passwords to the wrong app or that your password would linger too long on the clipboard, you're most likely managing your passwords wrong.
 
lysingur said:
1Password has a security feature that automatically removes passwords from the clipboard. I hope this puts your mind a little bit at ease.
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True. But it used to be customizable so you could specify the amount of time that 1Password would wait before removing the password (or other information). For some reason, users requested longer times for leaving information in the clipboard - now the only option is 90 seconds.

At the rate tik tok seems to be reading from the clipboard, they could get both your username and password. Chances of linking it to a specific app would probably be negligible, but I still don't want my passwords / usernames out there.
 
WiiDSmoker said:
Exactly why I stay with Apple. Privacy is something they truly care about; to their core.
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Apple actively and deliberately allow apps to access your clipboard, and will continue to do so. The only thing changing here is that you get notified.

The problem that now arises is well illustrated in this thread. There are legitimate reasons why an app might require access to the clipboard (hence why Apple provision it). The trouble is, the average user (and apparently most MacRumors readers) thinks there's no valid reason and any app trying to access it is therefore up to no good. So these alerts are going to lead to a situation where people are going deem each and every such app as spyware.

I'm not saying TikTok is or isn't up to no good here, but people with little or no understanding of iOS app development often make poorly-informed kneejerk decisions with stuff like this.

If apps accessing the clipboard was totally unnecessary, don't you think Apple would just prevent it rather than notify you?
 
DCIFRTHS said:
Are you saying that when a password, or any other field within 1Password, is copied by the USER to the clipboard from within 1Password on iOS, that the password is not available to other apps that can read the clipboard? Hope I explained that properly...

If yes, is there a way an end user can verify this?
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I have not gone through his implication, but I have a response for your query. Clipboard is available to any app, so as you asked about 1Password, I copied text from 1Password, launched Google Maps, and without my wanting to paste Clipboard contents, Google already had content available from 1Password.

I am reasonably sure there will either be more tightly protected access to Clipboard contents in and out by Apple, or the apps may be made to straighten themselves up, for clearly, not all apps exhibit this behaviour. Some of the apps I tried that did not exhibit this behaviour include Bear Notes, WhatsApp Messenger, Telegram Messenger.

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DCIFRTHS said:
True. But it used to be customizable so you could specify the amount of time that 1Password would wait before removing the password (or other information). For some reason, users requested longer times for leaving information in the clipboard - now the only option is 90 seconds.

At the rate tik tok seems to be reading from the clipboard, they could get both your username and password. Chances of linking it to a specific app would probably be negligible, but I still don't want my passwords / usernames out there.
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And no, the only option is not 90 seconds. The default option is. You can click on that 90, and edit it to whatever you are comfortable with.
 

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I ain't happy about this. I was not aware apps could access my clipboard without prior permission. I copy lots of sensitive data (passwords, emails, phone numbers, peoples addresses, URLs...). I don't want any old app having access unless I grant it first. This should be stopped.
 
casperes1996 said:
Well done on the title there, @jclo Love that the title points out that it's just because they were caught in the act.
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That’s how all malfeasant app devs do. Zuckerberg, for example, has turned it into an art. In fact, that’s a trait common to all children. And since many humans don’t mature past this stage, it’s a trait common to many adults, from speeding to snatching office supplies. Dangle the temptation of sleazily acquiring data/money/power in front of someone and see how few hold on to integrity & honor. Sorry, but I’m a cynic.
LeeW said:
Well, you say that, but up until now, it's been allowed to happen.
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So you’re saying they’ve known about it.
 
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iGeneo said:
before everyone dog piles on TikTok and the "Chinese" apps... there are several other offenders
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Yes there are other offenders but when Chinese company Huawei are caught doing dodgy things and then they try and claim that nothing is bad when they try to promote their 5G network hardware and then a large majority of 'Chinese apps' are caught doing questionable things to harvest phone users data and personal information and then Chinese businesses speak out that their business is not involved in anything dodgy, can you really believe and trust what they say?

Harvesting users data is a multi billion $ business and therefore it stands to reason if ANY app developer from ANY country can get away with grabbing users data and social habits so they can sell it on, they will.
 
lysingur said:
If you're copying your password, I assume that you're using a password management app.
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Unfortunately no. Most of the time I just copied passwords from Notes. Bank account number as well. Sometimes many times a day. I’m using iCloud Key Chain for some but not all my password.
I don’t think normal users use 1Password.
 
Can someone explain what does "clipboard" actually mean? If I'm simply typing something, is it continuosly transfered to the clipboard or do I have to tap the "copy" button first?
 
wbrat said:
Can someone explain what does "clipboard" actually mean? If I'm simply typing something, is it continuosly transfered to the clipboard or do I have to tap the "copy" button first?
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Clipboard is from where you paste the copied contents. So, yeah, things you copied go to the clipboard.
 
wbrat said:
Can someone explain what does "clipboard" actually mean? If I'm simply typing something, is it continuosly transfered to the clipboard or do I have to tap the "copy" button first?
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This is the thing, whilst all the applause is going on in this thread, why are the important questions not being raised.

People will copy sensitive information from chats, or notes and other places, that information has in effect been freely available for apps to collect without you knowingly granting permission to do so, that is not good.
 
LeeW said:
This is the thing, whilst all the applause is going on in this thread, why are the important questions not being raised.

People will copy sensitive information from chats, or notes and other places, that information has in effect been freely available for apps to collect without you knowingly granting permission to do so, that is not good.
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Apple's timing is surely questionable, I don't see any reason why this couldn't have been implemented in let's say iOS 10. In developer circles this hasn't been exactly a secret, that some apps need to access your clipboard.
 
macintoshmac said:
I have not gone through his implication, but I have a response for your query. Clipboard is available to any app, so as you asked about 1Password, I copied text from 1Password, launched Google Maps, and without my wanting to paste Clipboard contents, Google already had content available from 1Password.

I am reasonably sure there will either be more tightly protected access to Clipboard contents in and out by Apple, or the apps may be made to straighten themselves up, for clearly, not all apps exhibit this behaviour. Some of the apps I tried that did not exhibit this behaviour include Bear Notes, WhatsApp Messenger, Telegram Messenger.



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And no, the only option is not 90 seconds. The default option is. You can click on that 90, and edit it to whatever you are comfortable with.
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Thanks for your input!

I was seeing the same results as you. I was curious if the poster was aware of settings I wasn’t seeing.

As far as the 90 secs option, see my pic below. I am unable to change it. If you don’t mind me asking, do you have a subscription or a standalone version. I have the standalone version on my Mac, and the Pro version on my iPhone.

21123053-0E02-40C3-9C6D-7ECEC29B4360.jpeg
 
WiiDSmoker said:
Exactly why I stay with Apple. Privacy is something they truly care about; to their core.
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“Exactly. They stress this every year, they openly talk about it, so you know they have to live up to their promises. Thank you Apple.”

?? !!

LOL!

That's why Apple has permitted this for years, hasn't screened out apps that do it, and is only now getting around to letting users know about it — and then just mentioning it's happening, but not blocking it!

What makes this dismaying is that people may be copying in passwords, user names, financial information, personal information, etc.

Apple is better than other companies such as Google and Facebook, but they have a long way to go.

Let's not drink the Privacy Kool-Aid™️ or fall for the Privacy RDF!
 
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