Twitter working on Sign in with Apple support

AppleInsider · July 9, 2021 8:33PM

Twitter is seemingly working to bring Sign in with Apple integration to its iOS app, according to backend features currently hidden from public view.

Credit: Brett Jordan/Unsplash

Evidence of Sign in with Apple support for the Twitter app was uncovered by Jane Manchun Wong, a well-known researcher who has a long track record of uncovering upcoming or hidden features within apps.

According to Wong's research, there are several works-in-progress that could point to support for Apple's sign-in system. That includes a new entry description for connected accounts, a settings page, and the CSP header of Twitter's HTTP response.

Twitter is working on Apple Sign-In integration, as indicated in:

- the entry description for "Connected accounts" settings page (WIP)

- the "Connected accounts" settings page (WIP)

- the CSP header of https://t.co/lku1DJFE5E's HTTP response https://t.co/rKdDOWLEml pic.twitter.com/cEOgOoAEx1
-- Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane)
July 9, 2021

Sign in with Apple was released back in 2019 to let Apple ID holders easily create accounts on other platforms. While it works similarly to other sign-in systems, Apple's version aims to be privacy-preserving and allows users to mask their email address from third parties.

While Apple allows third-party websites to adopt Sign in with Apple, its usage is not required unless specific criteria are met. For example, if an app lets users create an account using another platform -- like Google or Facebook -- then they must also offer Sign in with Apple as an equivalent option.

The Twitter for iOS app doesn't offer any sign-in options beyond its own. Back in June, Wong found evidence that Twitter was working to include integration with Google's sign-in system, which would necessitate support for Apple's, too.

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notproust · July 9, 2021 9:13PM

This is not a good trend. Twitter has done a lot of censoring of posters over the years that is deeply undemocratic . A notable example was censorship by Twitter of the NYPost's 100% true story about Hunter Biden's laptop and activities. Such things work against the principles of a free society, as did Apple's peremptory removal of Parler from the App store. Big Tech should take itself out of the censorship business for the good of every citizen of whatever politics.

swat671 · July 9, 2021 10:16PM

notproust said:

This is not a good trend. Twitter has done a lot of censoring of posters over the years that is deeply undemocratic . A notable example was censorship by Twitter of the NYPost's 100% true story about Hunter Biden's laptop and activities. Such things work against the principles of a free society, as did Apple's peremptory removal of Parler from the App store. Big Tech should take itself out of the censorship business for the good of every citizen of whatever politics.

You do realize they're a private company and they can do whatever the heck they want, right? Right?

sdw2001 · July 10, 2021 12:49PM

swat671 said:

notproust said:

This is not a good trend. Twitter has done a lot of censoring of posters over the years that is deeply undemocratic . A notable example was censorship by Twitter of the NYPost's 100% true story about Hunter Biden's laptop and activities. Such things work against the principles of a free society, as did Apple's peremptory removal of Parler from the App store. Big Tech should take itself out of the censorship business for the good of every citizen of whatever politics.

You do realize they're a private company and they can do whatever the heck they want, right? Right?

The point is these companies have gone beyond private platforms. They have become or at least control the new public square. They are now no different than phone companies were 50 years ago. They’ve become common carriers. It’s why that all politics aside, I think Trump’s lawsuit might have a chance. The government cannot employ private contractors to do that which is prevented from doing. There is at least some evidence that this is exactly what’s been happening, off the books.

The other part is the “start your own” argument falls flat. These companies use their dominance to squeeze out or even destroy competitors. We saw that with Parler. Apple, Google and Amazon basically control the internet. When they took out Parler, it was swift, total and simultaneous. We already know about FB and Twitter. These companies are manipulating the public, privately funding elections through various methods, colluding with the government and traditional media, and more. It has to stop.

jbslough · July 10, 2021 8:02PM

sdw2001 said:

swat671 said:

notproust said:

This is not a good trend. Twitter has done a lot of censoring of posters over the years that is deeply undemocratic . A notable example was censorship by Twitter of the NYPost's 100% true story about Hunter Biden's laptop and activities. Such things work against the principles of a free society, as did Apple's peremptory removal of Parler from the App store. Big Tech should take itself out of the censorship business for the good of every citizen of whatever politics.

You do realize they're a private company and they can do whatever the heck they want, right? Right?

The point is these companies have gone beyond private platforms. They have become or at least control the new public square. They are now no different than phone companies were 50 years ago. They’ve become common carriers. It’s why that all politics aside, I think Trump’s lawsuit might have a chance. The government cannot employ private contractors to do that which is prevented from doing. There is at least some evidence that this is exactly what’s been happening, off the books.

The other part is the “start your own” argument falls flat. These companies use their dominance to squeeze out or even destroy competitors. We saw that with Parler. Apple, Google and Amazon basically control the internet. When they took out Parler, it was swift, total and simultaneous. We already know about FB and Twitter. These companies are manipulating the public, privately funding elections through various methods, colluding with the government and traditional media, and more. It has to stop.

So if Twitter or FB (or whatever is the newest thing in SM) were to go belly up then the government would have to bail them out, no? After all they’re “the new public square” (kind of an odd term really consider they’re private companies). I don’t see how Apple controls the Internet. They don’t have a search engine, if anything the ISPs control the internet. They do have control over their iOS stores, but that’s another debate. But they’re far from a monopoly. Macs have like less than 15% market share.

edited July 2021

strangedays · July 10, 2021 11:50PM

notproust said:

This is not a good trend. Twitter has done a lot of censoring of posters over the years that is deeply undemocratic . A notable example was censorship by Twitter of the NYPost's 100% true story about Hunter Biden's laptop and activities. Such things work against the principles of a free society, as did Apple's peremptory removal of Parler from the App store. Big Tech should take itself out of the censorship business for the good of every citizen of whatever politics.

Yeah no, you’ve been spoon fed lies and are continuing to believe them. Chain of custody was absurdly broken and nobody knows anything.

And you’re quite wrong about Parler — their users were actively calling for the execution of the VP, blowing up Amazon date hosting facilities, and many gruesome descriptions of how they’d like to torture and murder people they didn’t agree with…. All of which are against the terms of service. That’s why they got booted, no moderation of calls for violence. Why is this difficult for you to accept?

FYI, your free speech rights are not broken when a private platform declines to publish your material. They don’t have to, and you can’t make them.

edited July 2021

strangedays · July 10, 2021 11:52PM

mike54 said:

notproust said:

This is not a good trend. Twitter has done a lot of censoring of posters over the years that is deeply undemocratic . A notable example was censorship by Twitter of the NYPost's 100% true story about Hunter Biden's laptop and activities. Such things work against the principles of a free society, as did Apple's peremptory removal of Parler from the App store. Big Tech should take itself out of the censorship business for the good of every citizen of whatever politics.

You are exactly right. Encouraging that some people knows this.

Ignorance is never lonely.

strangedays · July 10, 2021 11:55PM

sdw2001 said:

swat671 said:

notproust said:

This is not a good trend. Twitter has done a lot of censoring of posters over the years that is deeply undemocratic . A notable example was censorship by Twitter of the NYPost's 100% true story about Hunter Biden's laptop and activities. Such things work against the principles of a free society, as did Apple's peremptory removal of Parler from the App store. Big Tech should take itself out of the censorship business for the good of every citizen of whatever politics.

You do realize they're a private company and they can do whatever the heck they want, right? Right?

The point is these companies have gone beyond private platforms. They have become or at least control the new public square. They are now no different than phone companies were 50 years ago. They’ve become common carriers. It’s why that all politics aside, I think Trump’s lawsuit might have a chance. The government cannot employ private contractors to do that which is prevented from doing. There is at least some evidence that this is exactly what’s been happening, off the books.

The other part is the “start your own” argument falls flat. These companies use their dominance to squeeze out or even destroy competitors. We saw that with Parler. Apple, Google and Amazon basically control the internet. When they took out Parler, it was swift, total and simultaneous. We already know about FB and Twitter. These companies are manipulating the public, privately funding elections through various methods, colluding with the government and traditional media, and more. It has to stop.

Incorrect on all accounts. They remain private platforms — nobody needs Twitter, or Facebook. You are free to write your own manifesto, website, etc.

Again with the Parler — you continue to willfully ignore why they were blocked. You cannot have users calling for the execution of the VP, threatening to blowup Amazon, and torture-murder fantasies of another party and not expect to not be removed for violated the states terms of service.

edited July 2021

georgebmac · July 11, 2021 2:10PM

Ah Geez!

As soon as I saw "Twitter" mentioned I thought "Here come the crazed Trumpers regurgitating the paranoia, hate, fear and bullshit that their heads have been filled with".

And, I was right.

America needs to understand and learn how to deal with how its democratic institutions and ideals (like free-speech) can and are being used against us (Russian professionals showed us how free speech can be used against us in 2016). Too often we blame the people spouting idological based nonsense when the root of the problem is professionally orchestrated propaganda campaigns that fill their heads with nonsense driven by fear and hatred.

Obama said it well: We used to debate opinion. Now we debate the facts. That's what propaganda does: it creates an alternative reality based on alternative facts.

Twitter doing what it did was good and necessary. But it was a bandaid. A finger in the dike holding back a flood of lies, propaganda and disinformation fueled by hate, fear and paranoia. The American people want to believe that this is all behind them and they can move on. But, as soon as Twitter takes their finger out of that dike the country will once again be flooded by the BigLie du jour.

edited July 2021

spacekid · July 12, 2021 12:44PM

swat671 said:

notproust said:

This is not a good trend. Twitter has done a lot of censoring of posters over the years that is deeply undemocratic . A notable example was censorship by Twitter of the NYPost's 100% true story about Hunter Biden's laptop and activities. Such things work against the principles of a free society, as did Apple's peremptory removal of Parler from the App store. Big Tech should take itself out of the censorship business for the good of every citizen of whatever politics.

You do realize they're a private company and they can do whatever the heck they want, right? Right?

You do realize that people can post such comments about private companies censoring posts and shaping how they want the news reported, right? RIght?

spacekid · July 12, 2021 12:47PM

StrangeDays said:

Again with the Parler — you continue to willfully ignore why they were blocked. You cannot have users calling for the execution of the VP, threatening to blowup Amazon, and torture-murder fantasies of another party and not expect to not be removed for violated the states terms of service.

So why are Twitter and Facebook, with similar posts, allowed on the Apple store? Twitter and Facebook were actually used for the 1/6 Capital protest.

georgebmac · July 12, 2021 3:18PM

spacekid said:

swat671 said:

notproust said:

This is not a good trend. Twitter has done a lot of censoring of posters over the years that is deeply undemocratic . A notable example was censorship by Twitter of the NYPost's 100% true story about Hunter Biden's laptop and activities. Such things work against the principles of a free society, as did Apple's peremptory removal of Parler from the App store. Big Tech should take itself out of the censorship business for the good of every citizen of whatever politics.

You do realize they're a private company and they can do whatever the heck they want, right? Right?

You do realize that people can post such comments about private companies censoring posts and shaping how they want the news reported, right? RIght?

Except news was never banned. Just lies, hate speech, insurrection, etc. that harmed society. It showed they were a responsible company.

georgebmac · July 12, 2021 3:20PM

spacekid said:

StrangeDays said:

Again with the Parler — you continue to willfully ignore why they were blocked. You cannot have users calling for the execution of the VP, threatening to blowup Amazon, and torture-murder fantasies of another party and not expect to not be removed for violated the states terms of service.

So why are Twitter and Facebook, with similar posts, allowed on the Apple store? Twitter and Facebook were actually used for the 1/6 Capital protest.

It wasn't a protest. It was an attack on our nation by insurrectionists.

And, neither Twitter nor Facebook allows posts pushing dangerous lies or that incite violence or insurrection. From anybody.

crowley · July 12, 2021 3:26PM

sdw2001 said:

swat671 said:

notproust said:

This is not a good trend. Twitter has done a lot of censoring of posters over the years that is deeply undemocratic . A notable example was censorship by Twitter of the NYPost's 100% true story about Hunter Biden's laptop and activities. Such things work against the principles of a free society, as did Apple's peremptory removal of Parler from the App store. Big Tech should take itself out of the censorship business for the good of every citizen of whatever politics.

You do realize they're a private company and they can do whatever the heck they want, right? Right?

The point is these companies have gone beyond private platforms. They have become or at least control the new public square. They are now no different than phone companies were 50 years ago. They’ve become common carriers. It’s why that all politics aside, I think Trump’s lawsuit might have a chance. The government cannot employ private contractors to do that which is prevented from doing. There is at least some evidence that this is exactly what’s been happening, off the books.

Even if you buy in to the argument that Twitter and Facebook are akin to common carrier, that's not going to be declared by a judge in a civil suit, it needs to be passed in a bill. Trump has no chance.

What off-the-book evidence is there that the government is using Twitter and Facebook to do things they aren't allowed to do? Trump's accounts were banned from the platforms during the Trump administration - i.e. when he was the head of the government - and only in a very well publicised, extraordinary circumstance.

Twitter working on Sign in with Apple support

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