iPhone How can you trust a developer's privacy statement (and an Apple keyboard gripe)?

[Mick-Mac]

I so very much hate that we're at iOS 16 already and Apple still doesn't have an iPhone keyboard with an additional number row on top. I went looking at 3rd party keyboards and they all require FULL access to your iPhone, and that they carry the danger of keystroke logging (including credit card numbers and literally anything else private you type). So with that option set for a keyboard the stakes are the highest they can possibly be. I considered Slyder keyboard and the App Store privacy banner for Slyder says:

Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app

However, when you click on the "See Details" link above that statement it says:

The developer, Chi Ho Chun, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below.
This information has not been verified by Apple.
For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

So Apple's escape clause effectively says to me:

We have no idea if the developer is a liar or is evil. He says he's not. Good luck with that!

WTF! Other developers (e.g. TikTok, FaceBook etc.) have all at one point been caught stealing your typed data, said "oops, I wonder how that happened - don't worry, we'll fix that" and then after their fix have been caught continuing to do exactly the same thing in a creatively different way.

How can anybody trust these 3rd party keyboards? The Slyder app appears to be free (the classic red flag) but it has In-App purchases. However, those In-App purchases appear to just be support-based purchases e.g.:
Support $0.99 → $0.99
Support $1.99 → $1.99
...
Support $99.99 → $99.99

I don't know how to proceed. Does anybody have any thoughts?

 

[russell_314]

My thoughts would be not to trust an unknown developer. The privacy statement is meaningless if the developer has bad intentions.

 

[Mick-Mac]

My thoughts would be not to trust an unknown developer. The privacy statement is meaningless if the developer has bad intentions.

But that's just it - the (free) app is well rated because of the functionality it provides (4.6 stars with ~1400 votes) so the developer is NOT really unknown. Apple doesn't verify the developer's stated privacy claim, and the users sure can't verify it, so how do I know if I'm trusting a liar or not? Apple allows him to prominently show an enticing privacy banner without ANY verification. IF Apple stood behind these privacy banners on their App Store then that's a TOTALLY different story! But they do not, so the cynic in me says this practice generates money for Apple while their disclaimer gives them a total get-out-of-jail-free for any potential consequences.

Apple's toothless privacy policy forces me to only trust an Apple keyboard, and from what I've read this keyboard feature has been widely requested for countless years now but Apple just aren't listening.

 

[Lihp8270]

The blurb of “this developer has indicated blah blah blah” is just standard text before displaying the options selected by the developer on upload.

In this case they’ve selected that data is not collected, and their privacy policy also states that.

However. When it comes down to it. You’re correct you don’t know if they’re being honest or not and that’s a decision you need to make from other factors, similarly to how you would decide if an online retailer was legit before making a purchase.

 

[Mick-Mac]

I mostly agree with you with your online retailer analogy, with one notable exception. In addition to basing your purchase choice from the usual online user reviews, Apple goes the extra distance by making the purchase even more enticing by providing a prominent privacy banner that they totally don't stand behind. This is effectively similar to the Amazon Choice Award on Amazon's site - it has nothing to do with it being a great product but everything to do with generating money for Amazon.

Anyway, despite our back and forthing, I'd say we are in agreement on my original assertion.

 

[Lihp8270]

I mostly agree with you with your online retailer analogy, with one notable exception. In addition to basing your purchase choice from the usual online user reviews, Apple goes the extra distance by making the purchase even more enticing by providing a prominent privacy banner that they totally don't stand behind. This is effectively similar to the Amazon Choice Award on Amazon's site - it has nothing to do with it being a great product but everything to do with generating money for Amazon.

Anyway, despite our back and forthing, I'd say we are in agreement on my original assertion.

There’s no real way of apple knowing what happens with data. Short of employing even more software developers and spending weeks if not months reviewing the source code of every app