Sure, those are all such sensible and benevolent sounding reasons, and if they are clearly spelled out by the developers that those are the ONLY reasons they collect the data, that those are the ONLY ways that collected data will be used, that ALL (your) personally typed data will be kept safe, secure, inaccessible by third parties, and only used for those anonymous non-invasive reasons, *guaranteed*.... then we're on the right track. I might consider it, but very much depending on the answers to those questions...
You're right. I don't know (yet) for sure they are key logging. You don't know that they AREN'T. I'm not complaining about any apps having "network connectivity", that's a totally different topic. And honestly? "Full access allows the developer to transmit anything you type...." is really REALLY different than simply allowing an app to have network access.... ya think? That is NOT the concern being discussed at all!
But here it is, spelled out clear as day, and completely lacking in developer qualifiers (let me ask you, which 3rd party keyboard developer has spelled out their privacy manifesto, answering to all those concerns I have?). This is how it IS... no paranoia required:
"Full access allows the developer to transmit anything you type, including things you have previously typed with this keyboard. This could include sensitive information such as your credit card number or street address."
Anything. Anything. Including sensitive personal information. And you feel just fine about that, even when they have NOT implicitly and directly addressed to YOU how they will transmit it, use it, store it, or exactly why? You don't really know, do you. You just.... trust....
Well, you've been warned. Once more for good measure:
"Full access allows the developer to transmit anything you type, including things you have previously typed with this keyboard. This could include sensitive information such as your credit card number or street address."
That's all I need to know to "just say no" until the developers fill in the necessary security details. Their answers will remove or confirm my concerns. That's way too invasive to ignore, or to simply call "paranoid" when someone says, "hey, that seems a bit invasive.." I mean, wow. Are you really that blind, ignorant or just plain complacent?
No wonder privacy is headed south.... people apparently don't value it as much anymore...
Plus, I don't think it was immature or irrational, it was just a more colourful version of "You can imagine it all you want, it isn't going to happen," which is the only sensible response to such imaginings.
ah, and then too late I realized your "...it isn't going to happen" wasn't about potentially invasive tech, it was about imagining a world full of only good people....
apologies for the mistaken interpretation!
Ah well, but about that.... you could allow a person to dream unrealistically now and then... it may actually soothe the spirit somewhat...
Unfortunately, I also read those as I do certain product labels that put all the emphasis on what ingredients are NOT in the product, distracting from the few things that might be equally important, like the generic "natural flavor" and "spices" labels, those ingredient IDs that only serve to typically "anonymize" less palatable additions...
They didn't completely answer all my questions. What's visible, when, by whom, and exactly why?
Fleksy did the best job of shutting down a broad range of potential uses or problems... but honestly, there is way too much misdirection and legal double-speak in the Swiftkey terms. Also note that none of those are specifically applicable to iOS yet.
That's two. Let's see how many "third party keyboard vendors" show up in the weeks after iOS8 releases... and let's follow closely how their privacy policies AND "usage declarations" shape up.
I expect that they'll eventually arrive at an acceptable position. Frankly, they're not quite there yet to my satisfaction, but then, I do keep a high bar.
ah, and then too late I realized your "...it isn't going to happen" wasn't about potentially invasive tech, it was about imagining a world full of only good people....
apologies for the mistaken interpretation!
Ah well, but about that.... you could allow a person to dream unrealistically now and then... it may actually soothe the spirit somewhat...
My unrealistic dreams usually involve supermodels, and not some dev stealing my data, jus' sayin'
This is how I think, especially where 'legalese' is involved.
TouchPal says: "TouchPal Keyboard does not collect any personal information or upload any such information to the server."
What does "collect personal information" mean? What is the exact 'mechanic' that they are referring to?
Now, what that does NOT say is, "TouchPal (the company nor the Keyboard) does not collect anything that you type or upload any such information to the server." Really, that is NOT what it says. And nowhere do they specifically say "we do not log or record your 'keystrokes'. Period." Really. Check it.
Which says to me that they very well may do exactly that (collect all of your 'raw text data'). They won't specifically "collect personal information" like your address or credit card numbers, but..................... if, in a different context, such as an SMS or an email, if you happen to write a text message containing something personal, well.. they remain truthful. They didn't specifically collect that personal information. Just raw text data. If the contents happen to be "personal", well.... it wasn't their specific intention and they did not "collect personal information" implicitly.....
Legally? They are probably off the hook even if they subsequently 'harvested' personal data from other text data they did "collect" in a different context.
Now. Pop quiz. How do they define "personal information"?
(Yeah. They don't.)
And no, this isn't "paranoia", this is just being "sensible" and "cautious".... and in my view, with very very good reason.
Comments
Maybe this will ease your concerns.
http://swiftkey.com/en/privacy/
http://feedback.fleksy.com/knowledgebase/articles/295733-privacy-policy
http://www.touchpal.com/privacypolicy.html
Clearly I can, and I do all the time.
Plus, I don't think it was immature or irrational, it was just a more colourful version of "You can imagine it all you want, it isn't going to happen," which is the only sensible response to such imaginings.
ah, and then too late I realized your "...it isn't going to happen" wasn't about potentially invasive tech, it was about imagining a world full of only good people....
apologies for the mistaken interpretation!
Ah well, but about that.... you could allow a person to dream unrealistically now and then... it may actually soothe the spirit somewhat...
Maybe this will ease your concerns.
http://swiftkey.com/en/privacy/
http://feedback.fleksy.com/knowledgebase/articles/295733-privacy-policy
http://www.touchpal.com/privacypolicy.html
Thank you. Those are indeed a good start.
Unfortunately, I also read those as I do certain product labels that put all the emphasis on what ingredients are NOT in the product, distracting from the few things that might be equally important, like the generic "natural flavor" and "spices" labels, those ingredient IDs that only serve to typically "anonymize" less palatable additions...
They didn't completely answer all my questions. What's visible, when, by whom, and exactly why?
Fleksy did the best job of shutting down a broad range of potential uses or problems... but honestly, there is way too much misdirection and legal double-speak in the Swiftkey terms. Also note that none of those are specifically applicable to iOS yet.
That's two. Let's see how many "third party keyboard vendors" show up in the weeks after iOS8 releases... and let's follow closely how their privacy policies AND "usage declarations" shape up.
I expect that they'll eventually arrive at an acceptable position. Frankly, they're not quite there yet to my satisfaction, but then, I do keep a high bar.
Thanks again for the information.
My unrealistic dreams usually involve supermodels, and not some dev stealing my data, jus' sayin'
http://www.touchpal.com/privacypolicy.html
This is how I think, especially where 'legalese' is involved.
TouchPal says: "TouchPal Keyboard does not collect any personal information or upload any such information to the server."
What does "collect personal information" mean? What is the exact 'mechanic' that they are referring to?
Now, what that does NOT say is, "TouchPal (the company nor the Keyboard) does not collect anything that you type or upload any such information to the server." Really, that is NOT what it says. And nowhere do they specifically say "we do not log or record your 'keystrokes'. Period." Really. Check it.
Which says to me that they very well may do exactly that (collect all of your 'raw text data'). They won't specifically "collect personal information" like your address or credit card numbers, but..................... if, in a different context, such as an SMS or an email, if you happen to write a text message containing something personal, well.. they remain truthful. They didn't specifically collect that personal information. Just raw text data. If the contents happen to be "personal", well.... it wasn't their specific intention and they did not "collect personal information" implicitly.....
Legally? They are probably off the hook even if they subsequently 'harvested' personal data from other text data they did "collect" in a different context.
Now. Pop quiz. How do they define "personal information"?
(Yeah. They don't.)
And no, this isn't "paranoia", this is just being "sensible" and "cautious".... and in my view, with very very good reason.
My unrealistic dreams usually involve supermodels, and not some dev stealing my data, jus' sayin'
while mine involve huge sums of money and a rack full of Mac Pros.....
meanwhile, I'm too 'paranoid' to easily allow some dev stealing my data.... :P