Why didn't I have to allow FaceTime to use the camera?

[Mike Richardson]

I have a laptop here running Big Sur(ly Dump).

I clicked on FaceTime, which I have never used on this laptop. It did not ask me for permission to use my camera or microphone.

I clicked on QuickTime, and then started a screen recording. I was never asked for permission to record my screen. It was also able to record the camera and microphone as well.

Why is Apple software exempt from these requirements? Is that not giving the Apple software some if advantage, even if it is slight?

Later, I opened Terminal, and typed "screencapture foo.png". That immediately got a Windows Vista type dialog box, except I couldn't even allow it there, I had to go to System Preferences, unlock it, and then put a check next to Terminal for screen recording (even though it was screencapture taking the picture. Before I even did that though, I noticed that "foo.png" had been created anyway - except it was just a blank desktop with the menu bar.

The whole experience is not only consistent but favors the Apple software in a way that cannot be justified.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I don't think the behavior you described is odd at all. It is normal. If we were talking about third party apps, that would be different. Your innate preference of not trusting the default manufacturer of the OS you knowingly installed on its own laptop does strike me as rather odd.

 

[Ritsuka]

Of course built-in Apple apps have an advantage. Would you like to click on 50 allows buttons on your first macOS run?

But most Apple apps have another security advantage: they are sandboxed, that means they are not allows to access the entire disk. Most third-party apps are not sandboxed. FaceTime is sandboxed. Skype, Zoom, Discord, Teams, and similars apps are not.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Two questions:

1. Is the permission granted in the agreement you checked off at first startup?
2. Was this an update from an older macOS to Big Sur or perhaps a transfer using Migration Assistant?

 

[chrfr]

Why is Apple software exempt from these requirements?

Apple writes the operating system and owns it. If you don't trust the creator of the operating system you shouldn't be using that OS at all.

 

[Mike Richardson]

Two questions:

1. Is the permission granted in the agreement you checked off at first startup?
2. Was this an update from an older macOS to Big Sur or perhaps a transfer using Migration Assistant?

Both are good questions.

1. Do you mean the EULA and such? It very well may be granted in that EULA. I'll be certain to read it the next time I have a free couple of hours.

2. No. This is an entirely clean install onto a 2015 MacBook Air. It is not my main machine and is only used for testing OS versions and the like.

Of course built-in Apple apps have an advantage. Would you like to click on 50 allows buttons on your first macOS run?

But most Apple apps have another security advantage: they are sandboxed, that means they are not allows to access the entire disk. Most third-party apps are not sandboxed. FaceTime is sandboxed. Skype, Zoom, Discord, Teams, and similars apps are not.

I don't click every app in the dock on my first Mac OS run though. And I never FaceTime anyway - it was actually an accidental click on the Dock (see above - this is a testing Mac and so it's not really personalized or anything.)

Skype is partially sandboxed, because apparently Skype is now a terrible "Electron" app. However, I did conduct a little bit of testing. The main process is un-sandboxed, and also appears to be the process that requests microphone and camera permission.

But sandboxing doesn't have anything to do with microphone and camera permissions. If there were any popular non-Apple sandboxed apps that use the camera or microphone - I can't think of any - they would also need to request permissions.