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.

Comments

Somehow this will be spun to bash Apple

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:Somehow this will be spun to bash Apple

[Mitreya]

This is excellent news because it restricts one avenue in which apps can violate user privacy. ... prepare for delusional hatred of Apple.

Oooh, can we bash Android instead?
You'd think that a cool OS such as Android would naturally have the option "install the app but deny it location access" (or give it fake info automatically?). But no...
So a flash-light app can insist that it must have access to my phone book, take pictures without notifying me and make international calls on my behalf.

I miss WebOS

[oneiros27]

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.

That sounds too intrusive

[SuperKendall]

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.

Your info is wrong

[SuperKendall]

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...

Good

[iampiti]

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

Re:Good

[Gadget_Guy]

Like you, I have never been a big fan of Apple, and have wanted to move away from the world of iOS ever since I had the phone forced on me. But with the controls that they give to the user to limit what developers can do with your phone, it has become my preferred platform.

Apps on Android must show what permissions they require, but you can't do anything about it other than not install the app if you don't agree with one of those permissions. To be fair, this may have changed in later versions, but my Android devices are stuck with ancient versions. That's another thing that annoys me about the platform.