News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by nunodonato on Sunday October 18, 2020 @08:45AM (#24817433)
It's amazing the amount of crap people put up with in exchange for some comforts and conveniences these days (google, apple, amazon). Sad that so very few people put values first
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by tupputuppu on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:29AM (#24817740)
Could it be it's just peoples values are like that? That regular consumers are ignirant and short-sighted and care more about funny games and easy apps instead of privacy or quality?
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by stingraycharles on Sunday October 18, 2020 @11:16AM (#24818435)
It’s not either this or that. It’s simply that people really don’t care about privacy on the internet, apart from situations they have been taught to be careful (eg internet banking).

They simply don’t think about their internet browser, their privacy and Google, in the same way most people don’t care about how toilet paper is made. Sure you can make a strong case why something is bad, but in the end people just keep buying the same brand of toilet paper.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by judge2020 on Sunday October 18, 2020 @11:25AM (#24818522)
Exactly, and the people that are aware of the data collection see it as payment for getting so many things of value (Gmail, YouTube, chrome) for free.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by madeofpalk on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:38AM (#24817796)
It’s just exceptionally difficult to quantify what “privacy” is. The trade off is between something very tangible vs the intangible
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by salawat on Sunday October 18, 2020 @10:57AM (#24818270)
Privacy:

We talk, and you don't go telling other people what we talked about, or keeping ledgers, or training models, etc.

It isn't that hard at all. Unless, of course, your paycheck is reliant on you not understanding it.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by TheRealPomax on Sunday October 18, 2020 @12:12PM (#24818885)
"Ah okay, thanks for the clarification. Sounds like that doesn't apply to the internet then, because I'm just loading websites in a browser, I'm not talking to anyone. Thanks again for clearing that up!"

defining privacy in a contextually relevant and concise manner is hard.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by salawat on Sunday October 18, 2020 @01:31PM (#24819549)
Yep. Your problem is you're hiding all the inconvenient logging and generation of metadata propagating knowledge of my communication with your website beyond the scope of what was intended every time you propagate out metrics logs, or transaction data out to other third parties.

If you stop at "oh, an HTTP session happened", you're being a disingenuous maker and perpetuate of strawmen. It's almost always what happens with data by actors you invite into that "seemingly private HTTPS transaction" that violate the simplestsocial precept of the technical exchange.

Things branch off from there. If you can't see that as a fundamental breach of privacy and professional discretion, then again, it's likely you have a vested interest in not seeing it. It's damned obvious to anyone who doesn't.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by Razengan on Sunday October 18, 2020 @04:39PM (#24820957)
> defining privacy in a contextually relevant and concise manner is hard.

How about asking the users what privacy means to them.

Why is the concept of "consent" so hard to user-hostile devs?

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by TheRealPomax on Friday October 30, 2020 @11:18PM (#24948896)
Why would Google be interested in getting consent for something they can force without you being able to complain about it? That makes no business sense, and the only thing that makes Google change things is if there are dollars at stake.

And then only dollar amounts that move the needle (and if your choice negatively impacts the business by only a million dollars ayear, that's an irrelevant difference for Google. They literally don't care, because a million is peanuts, and does not move the needle)

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by Razengan on Sunday October 18, 2020 @10:48AM (#24818217)
No.

> It’s just exceptionally difficult to quantify what “privacy” is.

No, it’s really not difficult:

Don’t try to learn more about me than what I explicitly choose to tell you myself.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by izacus on Sunday October 18, 2020 @04:18PM (#24820793)
That's _your_ definition which may have pretty much nothing to do with how other people see it. We won't be able to have a clear conversation about privacy until every person is on the game page about that.

Until you understand that, you'll continue to be "surprised" when people say they care about privacy but not the pet peeve you have.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by Razengan on Sunday October 18, 2020 @04:29PM (#24820883)
How about this then: ___Consent___

Is that exceptionally difficult for you to quantify as well?

As someone else said: It isn't that hard at all. Unless, of course, your paycheck is reliant on you not understanding it.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by klyrs on Sunday October 18, 2020 @11:13AM (#24818421)
... and don't go blabbing about what I've said, unless I asked you to.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by cblconfederate on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:54AM (#24817892)
Maybe if apple or google or FB or any of the massively profitable big tech cared to pay back fairly to creators there would be quality content. Right now with things as they are nobody seriously wants to join the crowd of beggars.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by mahkoh on Sunday October 18, 2020 @11:28AM (#24818543)
Is it amazing? Even on here you have people saying that they have to use Windows or Apple instead of Linux because of some minor issues.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by m463 on Sunday October 18, 2020 @12:39PM (#24819081)
Personally, I think there's a market opportunity for someone who actually treats people with respect and decency.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by Nextgrid on Sunday October 18, 2020 @02:22PM (#24819964)
From my experience the majority of non-tech people do not value software or online services and will balk at paying even a couple bucks for an app.

The other problem is that every service out there will pretend to treat you with respect and it's only when things go wrong that you learn the truth, by that point it's too late.

So you need to 1) look beyond the price and 2) know which companies lie and which don't when it comes to their marketing (or have a previous experience with them), otherwise they all pretend to treat their customers with respect.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by eitland on Sunday October 18, 2020 @03:04PM (#24820262)
There's a huge, billion dollar niche where Google used to be :

1. A box on a web page

2. Customers write words

3. Your software return a list of web pages that contain said words plus relevant ads.

Since sometime 2007 - 2009 and Google has dropped the requirement that results actually contains the word and it is extremely annoying.

I use DDG these days. They are just as bad, not better or worse but it is faster to add !g to a DDG search than to retype the query in DDG aftee first trying Google.

First other search engine to recreate the Google experience from before 2007 can charge me $10 a month and show ads on top of it and still get me as a happy customer.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by red_admiral on Sunday October 18, 2020 @08:48AM (#24817463)
Apple seems to me, if not perfect, at least a couple of levels up from google or amazon.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by _dibly on Sunday October 18, 2020 @08:53AM (#24817504)
Apple is the one looking to expand into health and wellness. The data Apple can harvest is going to become more and more valuable. They're rolling out home speakers and the Apple Watch is increasingly becoming a DYI diagnostic tool. I think it's a bit naive to think that Apple is somehow more altruistic than any other big tech company.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by ocdtrekkie on Sunday October 18, 2020 @08:58AM (#24817544)
It's not altruism, it's just their business model happens to be more compatible with people's rights: Apple sells hardware at a premium price. Google monetizes data to push ads. Ads aren't a big part of premium experiences, Apple recognizes nobody likes them.

Which is why Apple devices generally only have ads in third party experiences, and Google shoves ads right in the default mail app.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by syshum on Sunday October 18, 2020 @10:21AM (#24818055)
Apple's business model is more compatible with rights YOU care about, but it is false to say it is compatible with "peoples rights"

Apple is more compatible with Privacy rights, but wholly not compatible with ownership rights, portability rights, free speech rights, etc.

Their draconian ecosystem policies around payment, hardware lock in, and platform lock in are IMO just as bad if not worse than Google draconian policies around data privacy

It seems however you do not place any value on anything other than privacy

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by Shared404 on Sunday October 18, 2020 @10:27AM (#24818091)
This is an important point. There are no good guys in cell phones right now, at least none that are large enough on the stage to really scare Apple/Google.

EDIT: I feel like I should give a shout-out to Pinephone, LineageOS and GrapheneOS as some better options, although they are all obviously not mainline.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by hnlmorg on Sunday October 18, 2020 @10:11AM (#24818002)
Exactly. Which is why I buy iPhones rather than Android handsets. I'll support Apple as long as their business model is privacy orientated but once they pivot (and I'm sure they will at some point in the future) then I'll switch to the next platform that supports my privacy -- assuming by that point that there are any such platforms left...
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by circularfoyers on Sunday October 18, 2020 @11:04AM (#24818337)
Which is why I think projects including PinePhone and Librem 5 are important, as they are privacy orientated and they need community driven support now to be usable in the future. The only other projects that get close are ones that use AOSP as a base like GrapheneOS or LineageOS with MicroG. But this introduces the same issue that Chromium forks have, which is the increasing maintenance burden.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by m463 on Sunday October 18, 2020 @12:47PM (#24819144)
I personally think that the whole "privacy" thing started because their ecosystem is in trouble.

They created the app store and made apps ubiquitous.

Honestly, computers used to have so much promise. They helped us, and made us better.

But nowadays how many people have you heard say "I don't WANT to install an app". (I know, lots of people don't care)

And apple is trying to restore (a little) trust by saying they're for privacy.

Thing is, they have to play both sides. And they really can't be for privacy (like allow a firewall or block network access for an app) because then developers won't do anything on their platform.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by solarkraft on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:05AM (#24817595)
I don't use Apple devices often, but last time I did I saw insanely annoying ads in the default apps you can't replace.

For Apple services, of course, which raises some pretty intense anti-trust concerns.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by dijit on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:38AM (#24817795)
This is just completely untrue.

There have never been third party ads in any default application on MacOS or iOS and I feel completely confident saying that.

You could make an argument of upselling, the music app prods your for a subscription to Apple Music or to buy songs on itunes- you could argue Apple TV shows content from providers you’re not subscribed to (next to ones which you are)- but those are first and second party ads.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by solarkraft on Sunday October 18, 2020 @10:06AM (#24817974)
> the music app prods your for a subscription to Apple Music or to buy songs on itunes- you could argue Apple TV shows content from providers you’re not subscribed to (next to ones which you are)

That's what I mean.

> but those are first and second party ads.

But ads are ads.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by dijit on Sunday October 18, 2020 @10:35AM (#24818136)
I guess I see a difference because the BBC does not show ads except for itself. So ads are not sold.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by devenblake on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:43AM (#24817825)
On what apps? I've never gotten any advertisements like that.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by simonh on Sunday October 18, 2020 @08:59AM (#24817554)
They don’t have to be altruistic as long as their interests align with those of their customers. So far on privacy they’ve spent billions of dollars building a reputation for protecting user privacy, fought court cases and probably given up billions more in potential revenue from user data monetisation. I’m not about to give up using a smartphone or online apps, so given I need to make a choice, I’m happy with the one I’ve made so far.

All you have given is possible reasons Apple might compromise, but those have applied for many years. If they do start compromising then sure, let’s re-evaluate.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by politelemon on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:38AM (#24817799)
They have spent on _marketing_ privacy. Their court cases were a great exercise in PR. They still have the highest compliance rate with US government for turning over user data, which they hold the keys to, and the Chinese government. User data monetisation is not the only danger to be wary of, it just happens to be the one that gets trotted out most often.

The time to re-evaluate is already here, it's just hard to do so when you're already locked into their ecosystem.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by Xylakant on Sunday October 18, 2020 @10:10AM (#24817992)
It’s not as simple as taking the compliance rate. The question is, how much data do they hold that they can tune over. How much of it is client-side encrypted.

Twitter handing over the DMs for a user: very much problematic- they’re plaintext. Apple handing over the iMessage history for a user: much less problematic, it’s E2E encrypted. (though still an issue - metadata may still be plain)

Fundamentally it boils down to some trust level - how much of what apple says about their data storage is true?

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by hu3 on Sunday October 18, 2020 @10:50AM (#24818228)
For starters, Apple can turn in all iCloud backup data since they ditched strong encryption plans after FBI complained.

> The question is, how much data do they hold that they can tune over.

https://www.androidcentral.com/apple-may-have-ditched-encryp...

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by simonh on Sunday October 18, 2020 @03:01PM (#24820235)
I don’t understand how complying with the law and not criminalising their employees is a ding against them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that used as a criticism of any other company, but it’s regularly used against Apple. It’s really bizarre. If you dont want companies complying with the law surely what we need to do is change the law and challenge governments. What matters is what they choose to do within the law, and as a customer I’m satisfied.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by briandear on Sunday October 18, 2020 @01:18PM (#24819406)
> They don’t have to be altruistic as long as their interests align with those of their customers.

Exactly. You just summed up why capitalism works in a single brilliant sentence.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by jtbayly on Sunday October 18, 2020 @08:56AM (#24817526)
> DYI diagnostic tool

I'm not familiar with that term. Does it mean a "Do Yourself In" diagnostic tool?

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by jskdvsksnb on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:03AM (#24817578)
What are personal health metrics but the inverse of personal mortality metrics?
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by faitswulff on Sunday October 18, 2020 @08:59AM (#24817553)
Ah yes, the notorious Do Yourself In category of diagnostic tools.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by m463 on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:01AM (#24817567)
they invented iBeacon for instance
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by mabbo on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:17AM (#24817668)
The difference is their business model. Google offers you free things, in exchange for showing you ads. Same with Facebook. This incentivizes them to find more ways to get more data about everyone.

Apple mostly makes money by selling you goods. Privacy can become a feature of those goods, increasing its value. They are incentivized to protect privacy.

This doesn't make Apple better. It's just that they're in a different market.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by smichel17 on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:20AM (#24817685)
The different market is (mostly) better. (My opinion)
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by vbezhenar on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:56AM (#24817907)
If you have enough money to pay. For many people watching ads is preferable payment method.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by b3kart on Monday October 19, 2020 @08:09AM (#24825574)
Funny that people who can afford to pay to not see any ads are the same people that advertisers would like to get to.
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by ksec on Sunday October 18, 2020 @11:35AM (#24818597)
Except in the name of privacy they are now using it to expand its services to other sector. Payment, Cards, TV, Music, Wellness, what's next?

(Especially true when you see people continue to think their business model is still to sell you iPhone, Apple is no longer just an iPhone company anymore )

Many of these makes me uneasy. Especially when we have caught Tim Cook lying multiple times.

Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by ec664 on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:14AM (#24817647)
No thanks. I'm steering clear of their increasingly closed ecosystem
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by rvba on Sunday October 18, 2020 @09:30AM (#24817751)
Add steam to that too. So many people are angry that there are alternatives...
Re:Chrome exempts Google sites from user site data settings by Scene_Cast2 on Sunday October 18, 2020 @11:16AM (#24818440)
Well, depends on how you define "alternative". If they were browsers, then perhaps NYTimes would only work in Firefox and WSJ would only work with Chrome. Technically, you can treat either as a replaceable commodity good as well...