Facebook is trying to downplay what they did can come across as a victim. FB should be finding the person internally that made the decisions to violate the terms of the certificate and have that head roll.
Now that's what you call a royal Slap In The Face! Mark won't be inviting Tim for the Christmas dinner now.
Tim went last year. The doorman demanded his full name, address, phone number, details of everywhere he’d travelled and everything he’d purchased over the last ten years.
It's coming! You heard it here first, Apple's iOS13 will be dedicated to make every Apple device we own 'anonymous' when connected to the internet. Our devices will just look like an iPhone or MacBook.
Privacy is Apple's next big move!
I could even see an iLife-like suite of Apps devoted to Privacy!
Bad FaceBook, very bad!
I'm not sure this is possible--while still giving users the integrated experience they have grown to appreciate and depend on. It all comes down to persistent cookies.
When I connect to Amazon (and dozens of other sites, including AI) via a browser on my MacBook I expect them to know who I am without my logging in. And they do because there is a cookie on my MacBook that tells them that it's me again. Now I use the Amazon app on my phone--essentially the same deal. Amazon has no trouble (and needs to) linking my phone and laptop usage. Likewise if I used Audible or Amazon Music or any of the other 'zon services, they know it's me however I connect. Short of crippling functionality that users expect, I don't see how Apple can change this. Presumably they can hinder the other FAANG companies somewhat from sharing data between then (by hiding the device IDs, MAC addresses, etc.) but a) that's hardly making anyone 'anonymous' and b) each of those companies are so huge with access to so much data, I'm not sure it matters.
Google knows everything you've search for, every place you've been, everything you've said (or sent or received) via email, every cat video you've watched, what else? Facebook and Amazon are similar with different sets of "specialties. Netflix is probably the junior player here, but only because they (for now) are limited to video streaming. Of course you could say the same thing about Apple, but Apple has make a public commitment to tying its own hands in what it can know about you and how it can use the data.
It's not clear to me that Apple alone can do much to protect the privacy of consumers who choose to engage directly with the other huge digital companies--except set an example and shed light on shady practices.
Conspiracy theory: Apple was waiting for Facebook to take advantage of adults and children in this way, so they could revoke this? Apple are clever, they knew Facebook would go to these lengths.
But seriously, at what point does a big company not get away with it? No small company certainly would. All signs point to Zuckerberg have zero scruples and no clear moral sense. He gets caught in major privacy violation about twice a year, and his behaviour continues year in, year out. You cannot continually year in and out do these things and get away with forever saying, “my bad” and pulling back on the move only when caught. At some point you must be responsible more than a small fine or apology. Even if you are Facebook.
This has to be one of the most amusing stories I've read for a while. Despite being a user of Facebook, I've always been suspicious of their privacy model and never give in to their incessant badgering to reveal personal information about myself, such as my address, phone number, school, etc. I won't even tag locations in photos. The sooner Facebook gets a bloody nose the better. They're riding roughshod over the norms of decent behaviour.
And yes, Apple should create their own alternative cross platform social network. Show Farcebook how to do privacy properly.
This is the least of the punishments Apple should be inflicting on FB for this serious breach. FB should be on developer “probation” for several years after this, with strict extra oversight and audits, strict limits n enterprise certificates, privacy controls on its developers, and dev and tester background checks, for starters.
I’m glad the company found a way to punish the guilty (the company) without hurting the innocent (the customers). I will say that Apple should have known this was going on given that they had to force FB to remove the original version of this VPN spyware from the App Store.
Next step needs to be Zuckerberg having to come publicly to Apple HQ with hat in hand to beg for a lifting of the certificate embargo (with an action plan for reforms and new conditions on their agreement).
That last bit is meaningless and no different to what he’s known to do, and then he returns and continues doing shit.
Facebook is trying to downplay what they did can come across as a victim. FB should be finding the person internally that made the decisions to violate the terms of the certificate and have that head roll.
For all the shit they've pulled over the last years, they really, really ought to have their developer certificate revoked outright.
Unfortunately, WhatsApp is the #1 Messenger service.
Of course, that might finally get people to shift away from the privacy shithole that is WhatsApp and into other messaging apps that are actually legal for me to use (WhatsApp will not work unless I upload my entire address book, which utterly violates data privacy laws in the EU — though it's technically not Facebook Inc. that is doing the violating).
It's coming! You heard it here first, Apple's iOS13 will be dedicated to make every Apple device we own 'anonymous' when connected to the internet. Our devices will just look like an iPhone or MacBook.
Privacy is Apple's next big move!
I could even see an iLife-like suite of Apps devoted to Privacy!
Bad FaceBook, very bad!
I would even go farther, for iOS 13, facebook and its associated apps won't install and the existing ones can't work. facebook's balls needs to be smashed.
And what if a significant group of iPhone customers, who cannot access their facebook app anymore, switch to Android? Whose balls will be smashed then?
It's coming! You heard it here first, Apple's iOS13 will be dedicated to make every Apple device we own 'anonymous' when connected to the internet. Our devices will just look like an iPhone or MacBook.
Privacy is Apple's next big move!
I could even see an iLife-like suite of Apps devoted to Privacy!
Bad FaceBook, very bad!
While not social media are there a few helpful options out there? Perhaps protonmail.com and protonvpn are possibilities ? I've also asked if there is a way for Apple to offer customers the option of S/MIME email encryption and certificates in an easy mac-like way, as the capability is in mail, and once installed seems to work well...?
Facebook is trying to downplay what they did can come across as a victim. FB should be finding the person internally that made the decisions to violate the terms of the certificate and have that head roll.
that person has made facebook so much money selling the data they mined that they won't be fired.
That’s funny. I thought Apple only revoked the certificates used for their VPN App - not all their certificates including ones they use for internal Apps.
I think this time they used their internal Enterprise certificate, and paid customers to install apps using that certificate. So Apple enforced its agreement.
Given in the scale of things enterprise accounts are dirt cheap why didn't each division have their own account and certificate?
Would have insulated them from another department going rouge.
Does this mean they could get round this issue now by just creating a new developer account and pushing the apps up again?
It's coming! You heard it here first, Apple's iOS13 will be dedicated to make every Apple device we own 'anonymous' when connected to the internet. Our devices will just look like an iPhone or MacBook.
Privacy is Apple's next big move!
I could even see an iLife-like suite of Apps devoted to Privacy!
Bad FaceBook, very bad!
I would even go farther, for iOS 13, facebook and its associated apps won't install and the existing ones can't work. facebook's balls needs to be smashed.
And what if a significant group of iPhone customers, who cannot access their facebook app anymore, switch to Android? Whose balls will be smashed then?
I haven't had the Facebook app installed since they pulled that crap with playing a silent audio file to be able to keep the app alive in the background indefinitely for tracking purposes.
That alone should have got them kicked from the App Store. Fuckers.
Comments
Tim had already decided not to attend this year.
When I connect to Amazon (and dozens of other sites, including AI) via a browser on my MacBook I expect them to know who I am without my logging in. And they do because there is a cookie on my MacBook that tells them that it's me again. Now I use the Amazon app on my phone--essentially the same deal. Amazon has no trouble (and needs to) linking my phone and laptop usage. Likewise if I used Audible or Amazon Music or any of the other 'zon services, they know it's me however I connect. Short of crippling functionality that users expect, I don't see how Apple can change this. Presumably they can hinder the other FAANG companies somewhat from sharing data between then (by hiding the device IDs, MAC addresses, etc.) but a) that's hardly making anyone 'anonymous' and b) each of those companies are so huge with access to so much data, I'm not sure it matters.
Google knows everything you've search for, every place you've been, everything you've said (or sent or received) via email, every cat video you've watched, what else?
Facebook and Amazon are similar with different sets of "specialties. Netflix is probably the junior player here, but only because they (for now) are limited to video streaming.
Of course you could say the same thing about Apple, but Apple has make a public commitment to tying its own hands in what it can know about you and how it can use the data.
It's not clear to me that Apple alone can do much to protect the privacy of consumers who choose to engage directly with the other huge digital companies--except set an example and shed light on shady practices.
But seriously, at what point does a big company not get away with it? No small company certainly would. All signs point to Zuckerberg have zero scruples and no clear moral sense. He gets caught in major privacy violation about twice a year, and his behaviour continues year in, year out. You cannot continually year in and out do these things and get away with forever saying, “my bad” and pulling back on the move only when caught. At some point you must be responsible more than a small fine or apology. Even if you are Facebook.
Unfortunately, WhatsApp is the #1 Messenger service.
Of course, that might finally get people to shift away from the privacy shithole that is WhatsApp and into other messaging apps that are actually legal for me to use (WhatsApp will not work unless I upload my entire address book, which utterly violates data privacy laws in the EU — though it's technically not Facebook Inc. that is doing the violating).
That alone should have got them kicked from the App Store. Fuckers.