
Apple declined to implement 16 Web APIs in Safari due to privacy concerns - zdw
https://css-tricks.com/apple-declined-to-implement-16-web-apis-in-safari-due-to-privacy-concerns/
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CM30
I'm not a fan of this. While I see the privacy benefits of not implementing
some of these APIs, I think it's also worth noting that:

1\. Privacy and convenience will always be a trade off, and if you constantly
put privacy/security as your top priority, you'll hold back tech/society and
limit what new products/services can be created. The potential for abuse
shouldn't be the sole deciding factor between whether someone gets
invented/implemented or not.

2\. As people have said, app store apps have access to this stuff. This makes
it less like something Apple did for privacy, and more to try and limit
competition from web apps, since if those do well, Apple won't get any money
from them.

3\. It restarts a worrying trend where browser devs just decide they can
ignore the spec because it's convenient for them/in their best business
interests. That's something that was terrible back when Internet Explorer had
a near monopoly, is worrying now with Chrome/Webkit being in the same
situation, and just as bad with Apple here.

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danielscrubs
1\. If people wants Chrome they can install Chrome. I for one like to see the
browser landscape diversify. Peeping Tom Chrome is fast and works well for
those that care little. Just because a spec takes a bad turn we shouldn’t just
end the web, we break the spec instead and maybe even make a new one. XHTML
style.

2\. That an app that I choose to install has access doesn’t mean I want a web
page to access it. I trust my local webpage with their news, not their
security prowess. The most important is that Apple always have someone to go
after if an app is doing something illegal.

3\. The specs are already too big for any other competition in the web engine
space and you want to make it bigger?

And let’s face it, those features will take development time from something
else that might be more important, like containers.

Yes there will be a lot of angry js devs but who really cares about ‘em? My
cpu isn’t a free for all buffè.

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londons_explore
While this is spun as privacy, the reality is appstore apps all have access to
this stuff.

It's simply Apple doesn't want anyone making a good web-app. They want web-
apps to be clunky and slow. Too many powerful web apps will make migrating to
android much easier.

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Daedren
I assume it's because Apple has much less control over fingerprinting in the
web over apps. That said, it could still be technically solved by asking users
for permission prior to use, as always.

But yes, they don't particularly care for web apps, as seen by the state of
PWAs in iOS.

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danielscrubs
Blokes, I’m calling it. Before 2030 we’ll see “for your safety if you don’t
allow Bluetooth we cannot allow you to continue to read the news at our page”

Money always finds a way.

