

How to explain to tech illiterates why FB messenger won't bug their iPhone - jgulden
https://medium.com/@jgulden/the-great-privacy-panic-7492a404c43b

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pdkl95
> "... if you read the EULA ... and keep track of updates, you have the power
> to turn the relevant permissions on and off as you see fit."

Translated into the real world that is full of people who are neither lawyers
or software security experts: "You better have the time to dig through a bunch
of incomprehensible legalese and try to find someone who can explain the
jargon if you ever hope to keep any privacy."

> "a surveillance device that’s recording your every move 24–7 and constantly
> reporting back to the mothership is complete and utter nonsense."

This is only "nonsense" if you fail to comprehend hyperbole.

Spying doesn't have to be 24-7 to be damaging, and many things can be batched.
A good example would be aggregating usage statistics of something every time
the app starts. No 24-7 required to crudely emulate rrdtool, _e.g._ inferring
someone's schedule from when they use various features can be very powerful.

Also, this makes the usual error of assuming that once the permissions are
opened up, they won't change (intentionally or otherwise). I _seriously_ doubt
the author reads _ever_ version of _every_ EULA before installing updates.
Normal users don't have the time or ability to keep up.

> "If anyone’s spying on you, it’s probably your mom."

translation: "Too many people have built business models that rely on acting
antisocially. People might stop using those services if they knew how they
really worked, so stop talking about how they are trying to create a
surveillance state!"

I'm sure Facebook's definition of "spying" is just as creative as the NSA's
definition of "collection"; it's the same style of lying with word games.

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eghad
Poor title. "Skeptic" is considerably better than "illiterate", which comes
off as condescending (as does some of your diction in general).

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2close4comfort
I am surprised that the FB app already doesn't have access to those phone
objects already and like FB needs MORE data to mine...people freely give that
up once you are the product opt out of the EULA all you want you are still
giving them all they want anyway.

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yutah
I though Facebook's reason for having this app was to get more information
from their users (AKA bug, which is why they ask for all those permissions)

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jgulden
Wrote this today to explain some facts to FB friends crying wolf about the new
Messenger app. Welcome the feedback/critique of the HN community!

