this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2024
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[–] lilja@lemmy.ml 89 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (4 children)

I loathe the wording that's been normalised around tracking. The options for the upcoming dialog are "Allow" or "Ask app not to track".

Why the fuck do I need to ask, as if the app is free to deny my humble request not to be spied upon? The whole tracking industry is awash with weasel words and vagueness in an effort to have us make ill-informed decisions.

Fucking parasites.

[–] Z3k3@lemmy.world 23 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Let's not forget. Yes or not till I accidentally click the wrong button

[–] dinckelman@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

Or even worse, you'll hit yes, because hitting reject is not an option for whatever fucking reason

[–] skullgiver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl 18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

You need to ask because Apple can't enforce on an API level that apps don't track you. Less vague language may lure people into a false sense of security. In theory Apple should be safeguarding you from malicious apps, in practice they regularly turn a blind eye once an app is big enough that an app not working becomes a problem for Apple rather than for the app developers.

I also think the language in that prompt is very much intentional. Apple doesn't want apps to track their users, so I think they've added an ick-factor to the prompt. On Android, buttons are labels with things like "allow" or "deny".

The only way to get rid of the tracking system is to make it interesting for companies to stop tracking you. 1 star rating + uninstall + switch to a competitor is the best you can do.

[–] lilja@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That's a very valid point, albeit incredibly disappointing. Mechanisms to block tracking should be built into the operating system, but I also realise that it would probably be impossible to accurately implement.

"Ask app not to track" is accurate to what you're choosing, I just hate that we've gotten to this point.

Apple does actually build quite a few privacy preserving technologies into its operating system. The only unique identifier they intend to provide is the ID that the "we want to stalk you" prompts are referring to.

Tracking companies have proven to find new ways to track users, unfortunately, but they are trying their very best. Something you can't say of Microsoft or Google.

As far as Apple has been capable of so far, the only unique device identifier apps on their platform can get access to is the one that you need to accept a prompt for. However, they know damn well that there are ways of fingerprinting devices that they can't prevent (without fucking up the user experience) so it would be dishonest to pretend that saying "no" blocks these attempts.

Apps requiring accounts to be useful, for instance, can be tracked by the user ID on the app's end. That's not something Apple can ever prevent through technical means.

[–] bamboo@lemm.ee 8 points 5 months ago

I think it is this way because Apple thought it would be misleading if the option was “deny tracking”, because there isn’t a specific technical mechanism to ensure that. It’s unfortunate but I’d rather it was honest than lied.

[–] Cube6392@beehaw.org 5 points 5 months ago

I came across a website today that had on off toggles for all their stuff cookies. When you clicked the toggle the colors of the "x" and the check mark changed between purple and black. I could not tell which was off and which was on. It made me very angry

[–] Cube6392@beehaw.org 44 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Protip for iPhone users: don't

[–] sunzu@kbin.run 19 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Why would anyone ever allow this wtf

[–] xkbx@startrek.website 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

My fellow chums and I think it would be quite corking if we gave our personal data over to the local advertisement agencies

[–] Cube6392@beehaw.org 3 points 5 months ago

How else will i know which scam products that we're built cheaply in a factory with poor conditions to spend my money on to have a fleeting sense of convenience that's washed away as soon as either

  1. I get used to it and it becomes just another thing in my house, my monument to consumption
  2. It breaks because the company cared about making a good product just as much as they cared about providing livable conditions for their workers, which is to say not at all

???

[–] aniki@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago

Watching my girlfriend just accept every pop up was maddening. I've been teaching her about unsubscribing, 10 minute email, reject all, and firefox add-ons.

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 2 points 5 months ago

The majority of people don't care about these things. This shouldn't be surprising anymore.

[–] dinckelman@lemmy.world 29 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I hate how no ads is not an option. It's either abusive ads, or personalized abusive ads. And of course, your data is up for grabs

[–] Wogi@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

Your data isn't yours to keep. It's already gone, for sale to the highest bidder for pennies, several times a day.

But it IS yours to spoil. Become unhinged.

[–] Blizzard@lemmy.zip 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] foxfell@lemmy.ml -1 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Homepage of which looks like ad.

[–] 667@lemmy.radio 2 points 5 months ago

Been running AdGuard for years once mobile DNS profiles became available. Hardly see any ads, and (on the rare occasion) when I do, they’re jarring and out of place.

[–] brap@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

You're not wrong. Opened it in a mobile browser and it looks messy - but it is a solid product.

[–] NautiNolana@lemmy.world -1 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I pay for premium. I think it’s fairly priced because I get music too. $14/mo.

[–] thetreesaysbark@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 months ago

It's annoyingly fairly priced. I'm fairly sure they're doing this at a loss to put competitors in the music streaming services out of business so they can hack up the price.

Standard Google/TV streaming service practice.

[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Lower the cost to ten usd and ditch Youtube music, that would be ok for me

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 1 points 5 months ago

I wish there was an option without YT Music. I already use Spotify and don't plan on changing that, so the Music part of my YTP subscription is an unused redundancy, which is really unfortunate.

[–] kryllic@programming.dev 20 points 5 months ago

I hate how YouTube seems to intentionally show salacious ads if you opt out of ad personalization. I get a ton of Temu spam despite not purchasing anything from that app or even having it on my phone, and the ads themselves usually feature scantily-clad women that takes up 70% of the screen. I've made a habit of just opening up the comments section and keeping them open the entire duration of the video. It really feels like YouTube/Google/Alphabet is saying "oh, you don't want people around you to think you're a perv? Let us collect more data about you so you can save face in public when you use our app at the gym or at work."

[–] Reddfugee42@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Apple - protects users from increased tracking, makes companies ask

Users - consent to increased tracking

Apple -

[–] chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Apple "tracker protection" is a lie. The capability to track users is embedded in the source code of the proprietary software, the only thing ATP does is not share your advertising ID with other beyond Apple. Advertising ID which shouldn't even exist in the first place.

[–] riddlemeboner@lemdro.id 2 points 5 months ago

It also allows apple to block app updates which ignore the users choice

[–] fuzzy_feeling@programming.dev 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] menixator@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 5 months ago

"... unless it makes you rich"

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 5 months ago

shorter headline: youtube enabling standard ios feature.

[–] thefrankring@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

My wishes and dreams finally coming true.

[–] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There's no reason to even use the YouTube app. One of the first things I uninstall on Android.

[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Ok, how is Android relevant when the article only talks about the iOS app?

[–] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

To point out that: even on the operating system/platform where the YouTube app comes from, it is pointless. Works fine in a browser.