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New iOS 11 Settings Will Stop Apps From Tracking Your Location (theverge.com)
An anonymous reader quotes The Verge:
Apple is giving users the option to enable much stricter location rules with iOS 11, according to MacRumors. The company began this effort last year by adding a new option to iOS 10 that grants apps access to your location only while they're actively being used. But this "while in use" setting is up to developers to actually enable. The vast majority of popular apps did integrate that new feature. Others, however -- Uber chief among them -- still force iPhone users to choose between always or never providing location data. The latter choice breaks the functionality of an app like Uber, leaving customers with really only one option. Apple seems poised to eliminate this false choice in iOS 11 by making the "while in use" restriction available for every app.
This is excellent news because it restricts one avenue in which apps can violate user privacy. However, because Slashdot users generally hate Apple, there will be a knee-jerk reaction to spin this into some way to criticize Apple. It is fascinating to watch the delusional hate of Apple, even when they do something good like improving user privacy. This is a good thing for privacy, and if anyone but Apple did this, Slashdot readers would applaud them. However, because this is Slashdot and the story is about Apple, prepare for delusional hatred of Apple.
There was an option that you could select so that when an app tried to get your location, it would ask you if it was okay. And it'd stick until you closed it.
Once you opened the app again, the next call to get your location would trigger the prompt again.
Unfortunately, after HP bought them out, they then decided to scrap Google Maps (which was part of the advertising when I bought it) for the f'n useless Bing Maps. And somehow, their hack job resulted in every time that maps got called up, it insisted that I had to download Bing Maps, so I'd have to wait 10-15 minutes for their crappy interface. (search for 'gas station' ... and it would give you some place with 'station' in the name in China)
I still blame Palm for the HP buyout -- WTF were they thinking with those commercials? But the OS was way ahead of its time.
Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
I love Waze, but since they switched to the mandatory always track setting, my new iPhone's battery loses about 1% per minute. Sucks to get to work and only have 30% charge left because I forgot to kill of Waze after checking which route I should use.
...destroy Uber by removing them from the App Store.
iPhone, my last Apple device. I already started shopping for another phone. But maybe iOS 11 will make stay...
There was an option that you could select so that when an app tried to get your location, it would ask you if it was okay.
That's how iOS works now, and also requires the app developer to give a reason why they are asking for location permission so you have a better understanding of what you are agreeing to...
And it'd stick until you closed it.
Once you opened the app again, the next call to get your location would trigger the prompt again.
That sounds way too annoying. I think the way that Apple is doing this in iOS11 is perfect - you have the option for any app that it can use your location only what running, which is what most apps should be set to. For a handful of transport or fitness apps, then sure you can let it have background location updates. But even those you can dial back to "when open" (or just off) if they go crazy.
Prompting every time you run an app is almost worse than no prompt at all, because over time it's not only annoying but you start to just agree by reflex. I don't think agreeing to any system resource like location should be a habit you ingrain into users to accept without thought.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Every time I use Uber, I rate the driver, close the app, and go to Settings|Privacy|Location Services, scroll all the way down to Uber, turn off location services while wondering if they really think I believe them that they need the location on always.
I never bought their excuse and I'm glad it's being imposed again. I love the service of Uber, but I can't stand their crap data collection tactics. Same for Waze.
"Who are you?" "No one of consequence." "I must know." "Get used to disappointment."
All my apps (aside from Google maps, by necessity) have location enabled "while using" only. I just checked and Uber is one of those - it has an option to provide location "while using" and that's what is selected. FWIW I am on iOS 9.3.5 (not big on updating unless I need something).
Did they take this option out in the later iOS releases?
It would be great if iOS added the ability to altogether disable the network access on a per-App basis.
The only when used option has been available for at least several major iOS releases, not just in iOS 10.
I know local roads just fine but unlike you am not so clairvoyant I know ahead of time where police park.
I also drive all over the US and am impressed at your prodigious memory having apparently memorized ALL back roads in the US. Me, the first time I'm driving around a city I like to know what road options are around me.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Yes the "when in use" option has been there, but had you read anything at all you'd understand what is new is that the user can select "when in use" for ANY app, even if the app is set up only to accept Always or Never for options...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I dislike many (most) thing Apple does but you've gotta agree that iOS is by far the least user spying mobile OS there is.
Of course, it helps that, unlike Google, their main business is not completely dependent on gathering user data. I heard that in WWDC they threw some jabs towards Google precisely because of that.
As I said, you can't count on Google being too privacy friendly since their business depends on they not being that. And Microsoft has gone full Google on Windows Phone and Windows for PCs.
It's sad that the state of affairs has come to where we are, but people using the products gives the companies little incentive to change their ways
The only thing that lies about this, is Apple Maps. You can put it on 'when in use' but it gives me notifications on my expected travel time (even when I terminate the application). When I say 'never' it stops doing that.
This was a feature in KitKat... years ago (and in JellyBean if you had the right app/privileges). Way to go be 3 years behind the times, Apple!
Ah, persistent prompting... My PS3 did that by asking me if I wanted to allow an internet connection whenever I put in a BluRay disk. Every. Damn. Time.
No need to be nostalgic about it, buy a PS4 Pro and you get the same prompt today! As you say, Every. Damn. Time.
I got stubborn about it, and vowed to never allow it to talk to the internet out of sheer spite.
Same here, the only time it got past me was when a system update turned on the Blu-Ray internet connection, after a few discs I wondered what had happen to the prompt so I checked settings and found I needed to disable it again...
There was no "never connect" option, just an "always ask" option.
Again, no need to speak about that past tense! That's how it remains to this day.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
This is GREAT. I'm surprised it took Apple this long, given their granularity in privacy settings as is.
I won't use a mobile operating system that doesn't allow a setting to "lie" to apps at my request. *I* decide whether some data bit is useful for an app or not, and whether to provide the app with more or less fuzzed data (from "slightly fuzzed" to "plausible, but unrelated to reality"). Location, address book, current time, you name it.
Win-win: the app is happy, I am happy.
I am the fucking boss in my computer. The app developer can do whatever (s)he wants in her/his living room.
Changing location access for Waze and Uber from "Always" to "Never" not only improved my privacy, it greatly improved the battery life of my phone. I still use both apps; the extra 15 seconds to enable access when starting and disable when done is a PITA but in the end part of the price for convenience.
You can't fight in here - this is the war room!
Your selection stayed until you closed the application.
So say for instance that you started up Safari, and something tries to get your location. It will ask you if that's acceptable. If you say no, it rejects Safari from getting your location until you close Safari and re-open it.
This also meant that you didn't have applications complaining that you go to the 'Settings' app and find the application in the list, and give it permission to get your location -- it just prompted you the first time you used it (and you could tell it to give permission, deny, or only for this session). You didn't have to keep going into the 'Settings' app and allow that app, then remember to go back in afterwards to revoke the permission.
Of course, WebOS also had a concept of 'cards' not just apps ... so each card (equiv. of a tab) in the web browser could be closed independently, so you didn't have to close down the full thing just to reset permissions.
(and they had multitasking, copy & paste, and other features before iOS ... which they NEVER MENTIONED in those stupid albino ads. Apple's mail app can't even open two messages at once when you need to refer back to other messages when replying)
Build it, and they will come^Hplain.