New iOS 11 Settings Will Stop Apps From Tracking Your Location (theverge.com) 50
An anonymous reader quotes The Verge:
Apple is giving users the option to enable much stricter location rules with iOS 11, according to MacRumors. The company began this effort last year by adding a new option to iOS 10 that grants apps access to your location only while they're actively being used. But this "while in use" setting is up to developers to actually enable. The vast majority of popular apps did integrate that new feature. Others, however -- Uber chief among them -- still force iPhone users to choose between always or never providing location data. The latter choice breaks the functionality of an app like Uber, leaving customers with really only one option. Apple seems poised to eliminate this false choice in iOS 11 by making the "while in use" restriction available for every app.
Somehow this will be spun to bash Apple (Score:5, Insightful)
This is excellent news because it restricts one avenue in which apps can violate user privacy. However, because Slashdot users generally hate Apple, there will be a knee-jerk reaction to spin this into some way to criticize Apple. It is fascinating to watch the delusional hate of Apple, even when they do something good like improving user privacy. This is a good thing for privacy, and if anyone but Apple did this, Slashdot readers would applaud them. However, because this is Slashdot and the story is about Apple, prepare for delusional hatred of Apple.
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This is excellent news because it restricts one avenue in which apps can violate user privacy. ... prepare for delusional hatred of Apple.
Oooh, can we bash Android instead?
You'd think that a cool OS such as Android would naturally have the option "install the app but deny it location access" (or give it fake info automatically?). But no...
So a flash-light app can insist that it must have access to my phone book, take pictures without notifying me and make international calls on my behalf.
I miss WebOS (Score:3)
There was an option that you could select so that when an app tried to get your location, it would ask you if it was okay. And it'd stick until you closed it.
Once you opened the app again, the next call to get your location would trigger the prompt again.
Unfortunately, after HP bought them out, they then decided to scrap Google Maps (which was part of the advertising when I bought it) for the f'n useless Bing Maps. And somehow, their hack job resulted in every time that maps got called up, it insisted that I had to download Bing Maps, so I'd have to wait 10-15 minutes for their crappy interface. (search for 'gas station' ... and it would give you some place with 'station' in the name in China)
I still blame Palm for the HP buyout -- WTF were they thinking with those commercials? But the OS was way ahead of its time.
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That sounds too intrusive (Score:5, Interesting)
There was an option that you could select so that when an app tried to get your location, it would ask you if it was okay.
That's how iOS works now, and also requires the app developer to give a reason why they are asking for location permission so you have a better understanding of what you are agreeing to...
And it'd stick until you closed it.
Once you opened the app again, the next call to get your location would trigger the prompt again.
That sounds way too annoying. I think the way that Apple is doing this in iOS11 is perfect - you have the option for any app that it can use your location only what running, which is what most apps should be set to. For a handful of transport or fitness apps, then sure you can let it have background location updates. But even those you can dial back to "when open" (or just off) if they go crazy.
Prompting every time you run an app is almost worse than no prompt at all, because over time it's not only annoying but you start to just agree by reflex. I don't think agreeing to any system resource like location should be a habit you ingrain into users to accept without thought.
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Ah, persistent prompting... My PS3 did that by asking me if I wanted to allow an internet connection whenever I put in a BluRay disk. Every. Damn. Time. I got stubborn about it, and vowed to never allow it to talk to the internet out of sheer spite.
Basically, I think Sony was probably fulfilling some legal obligation, but making it so obnoxious that 99% of people would just turn that option to "always connect". There was no "never connect" option, just an "always ask" option.
The Dream Is Still Alive (Score:2)
Ah, persistent prompting... My PS3 did that by asking me if I wanted to allow an internet connection whenever I put in a BluRay disk. Every. Damn. Time.
No need to be nostalgic about it, buy a PS4 Pro and you get the same prompt today! As you say, Every. Damn. Time.
I got stubborn about it, and vowed to never allow it to talk to the internet out of sheer spite.
Same here, the only time it got past me was when a system update turned on the Blu-Ray internet connection, after a few discs I wondered what had happ
You seem to have misunderstood. (Score:2)
Your selection stayed until you closed the application.
So say for instance that you started up Safari, and something tries to get your location. It will ask you if that's acceptable. If you say no, it rejects Safari from getting your location until you close Safari and re-open it.
This also meant that you didn't have applications complaining that you go to the 'Settings' app and find the application in the list, and give it permission to get your location -- it just prompted you the first time you used it
Your memory is astounding (Score:1)
I know local roads just fine but unlike you am not so clairvoyant I know ahead of time where police park.
I also drive all over the US and am impressed at your prodigious memory having apparently memorized ALL back roads in the US. Me, the first time I'm driving around a city I like to know what road options are around me.
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To be fair, Waze needs background location access to be a first-class nav program, where it can keep giving you navigation updates from the background...
However I agree with you that this is a nice option, because most of the time I don't use Waze for navigation but just leave up as a kind of information panel for driving. So most of the time I would much rather Wake be set to only have location when running.
One more habit I will be able to drop. (Score:2)
Every time I use Uber, I rate the driver, close the app, and go to Settings|Privacy|Location Services, scroll all the way down to Uber, turn off location services while wondering if they really think I believe them that they need the location on always.
I never bought their excuse and I'm glad it's being imposed again. I love the service of Uber, but I can't stand their crap data collection tactics. Same for Waze.
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They use it to compile maps of physical location versus wifi access points. Google and a company called Skyhook, formerly TruePositions, do the same thing. Truepositions does E911 service, where your cell phone can pinpoint your information for emergency services when you dial 911, which I personally consider *amazingly* useful.
It's that way now (Score:2)
All my apps (aside from Google maps, by necessity) have location enabled "while using" only. I just checked and Uber is one of those - it has an option to provide location "while using" and that's what is selected. FWIW I am on iOS 9.3.5 (not big on updating unless I need something).
Did they take this option out in the later iOS releases?
Restrict network access per App (Score:1)
It would be great if iOS added the ability to altogether disable the network access on a per-App basis.
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They do have that for mobile data. It's under each app's settings. Unfortunately it doesn't have similar controls when using Wi-Fi. This get around that, I disable Wi-Fi unless it is needed.
I turn off Uber data while I'm not using it, and have done so ever since they removed the "Only while in use" option for location services. My trust in them dropped when they did this./p-
Your info is wrong (Score:3)
Yes the "when in use" option has been there, but had you read anything at all you'd understand what is new is that the user can select "when in use" for ANY app, even if the app is set up only to accept Always or Never for options...
Good (Score:4)
Of course, it helps that, unlike Google, their main business is not completely dependent on gathering user data. I heard that in WWDC they threw some jabs towards Google precisely because of that.
As I said, you can't count on Google being too privacy friendly since their business depends on they not being that. And Microsoft has gone full Google on Windows Phone and Windows for PCs.
It's sad that the state of affairs has come to where we are, but people using the products gives the companies little incentive to change their ways
Re:Good (Score:4, Interesting)
Like you, I have never been a big fan of Apple, and have wanted to move away from the world of iOS ever since I had the phone forced on me. But with the controls that they give to the user to limit what developers can do with your phone, it has become my preferred platform.
Apps on Android must show what permissions they require, but you can't do anything about it other than not install the app if you don't agree with one of those permissions. To be fair, this may have changed in later versions, but my Android devices are stuck with ancient versions. That's another thing that annoys me about the platform.
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I dislike many (most) thing Apple does but you've gotta agree that iOS is by far the least user spying mobile OS there is.
Of course, it helps that, unlike Google, their main business is not completely dependent on gathering user data. I heard that in WWDC they threw some jabs towards Google precisely because of that.
As I said, you can't count on Google being too privacy friendly since their business depends on they not being that. And Microsoft has gone full Google on Windows Phone and Windows for PCs.
It's sad that the state of affairs has come to where we are, but people using the products gives the companies little incentive to change their ways
Least? I am not sure, maybe sometimes or in some circumstances, but just see this issue, this a feature they have added 2 years after Android, and 6 years after the first minor smartphones had similar implementation. If they hadn't wanted it to behave the way it did, they would have implemented this years ago, this seems more like they were forced to it by competition and bad PR.
Soooo necessary. (Score:2)
This is GREAT. I'm surprised it took Apple this long, given their granularity in privacy settings as is.
Waze does the same thing. (Score:1)
Changing location access for Waze and Uber from "Always" to "Never" not only improved my privacy, it greatly improved the battery life of my phone. I still use both apps; the extra 15 seconds to enable access when starting and disable when done is a PITA but in the end part of the price for convenience.