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Is there a danager of the iPad allowing Apple to spy on our web usage?

M

msmth928

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 3, 2009
154
0
Being closed source, it's not like you can load little snitch on there!

So is there a possibility that Apple will be snooping on our web usage? More importantly is there a way for us to test whether they are or not?

I don't want to turn this into a are they/aren't they debate - I just want to know whether it's possible they can spy on our usage of the internet or not, and if there's anyway for us to know if that's happening, if they can and we can't detect it - that's a good enough reason for me not to get one.
 
msmth928 said:
Being closed source, it's not like you can load little snitch on there!

So is there a possibility that Apple will be snooping on our web usage? More importantly is there a way for us to test whether they are or not?

I don't want to turn this into a are they/aren't they debate - I just want to know whether it's possible they can spy on our usage of the internet or not, and if there's anyway for us to know if that's happening, if they can and we can't detect it - that's a good enough reason for me not to get one.
Click to expand...

I'd worry more about Google rather than Apple if you are going to snoop.
 
msmth928 said:
How did you arrive at that conclusion?
Click to expand...

Based on this.

You could same thing about any company — is the cable company spying on what I'm watching? Is my phone provider listening in on my conversations? No, be realistic. Apple doesn't care about your web usage, and if they had some way to check (which they don't) they'd be in big legal trouble.
 
I'm pretty sure these are the answers:

Is it possible for them to do it? Yes
Could you detect it if they did do it? Not an average user, but yes
Will they actually be doing it? No
 
msmth928 said:
Being closed source, it's not like you can load little snitch on there!

So is there a possibility that Apple will be snooping on our web usage? More importantly is there a way for us to test whether they are or not?

I don't want to turn this into a are they/aren't they debate - I just want to know whether it's possible they can spy on our usage of the internet or not, and if there's anyway for us to know if that's happening, if they can and we can't detect it - that's a good enough reason for me not to get one.
Click to expand...

I'm more worried by them snooping through that tiny hidden webcam at the top of the screen. You must have seen it ;)
 
msmth928 said:
I don't want to turn this into a are they/aren't they debate - I just want to know whether it's possible they can spy on our usage of the internet or not, and if there's anyway for us to know if that's happening, if they can and we can't detect it - that's a good enough reason for me not to get one.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, this is a bit ridiculous and has nothing to do with the closed and/or closed nature of platforms. Of course it is possible. Just as it is possible for Google to monitor your browsing habits, or your phone company to monitor your telephony usage, or the creepy guy living across the street from monitoring when you go to work in the morning.

You have two choices. First, you can read company's privacy policies and accept it as truth. Second, you can unplug from modern society and move to a cave somewhere.
 
ziggyonice said:
No.
Click to expand...

msmth928 said:
How did you arrive at that conclusion? Is it just your opinion or based on actual knowledge about how these devices work?

(Trying to get facts here not opinion tbh.)
Click to expand...

ziggyonice is an Apple plant on this forum. Don't trust him. They are spying on us. Apple is a shell company fronting for the NSA. Log off now! Wipe down your keyboard. Talk to no one. Never bring this up again.
 
msmth928 said:
Android is open source!! Let's not get tribal please. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Let's get this straight.

There are portions of Android which are Open Source. This is why Cyanogen was given a cease and desist on cyanogenmod. When he removed the closed source portions it was all good.

Chromium is open source and has aspects of this kind of tracking built in, which is why there's a fork of chromium about called steel or iron.

Chrome is the Google branded version of Chromium.

Google have loads on us.

It's just about trust. I trust apple and after the whole buzz thing, I trust Google less than I trust Apple.
 
On a more serious note. Google absolutely does monitor traffic on the web. It's part of their business model that allows them to deliver such great search performance. Could they focus their technology on individuals? I'm sure they could. Could they commercialize that information? Well, they sort of do already in a general sense. But, I think Google realizes they are verrrrry vulnerable to charges of abuse. Hence their vaunted ethics are partially due to the common decency of their leadership (benefit of the doubt) and partially due to the fact that they could be put out of business by the public and government if they violate the public trust.
 
I would be more worried about of your ISP, Cell company and the websites you surf. In some areas of the world the iPhone was not aloud for officials with sensitive information access because you can not turned it off completely when on a meeting (taking out the battery).
Not sure what the situation now but at the time it did make a lot of noise in the inner circle.
 
Why are you worried about anybody doing this? If you're not plotting bomb attacks on civilians or trading child porn, the odds of a government official showing up at your door are pretty much zero. And what would Apple do to you in response to any Web browsing or emailing you might do? If you spend too much time on microsoft.com, Steve will send you nasty emails?

Strangers care way less about your personal life than you might assume.
 
Even if they are spying on us, who cares? Unless you're a terrorist, what "danager" are you actually concerned with? If someone is watching, they're doing it for broad demographic marketing reasons, not to find out what kind of weird porn you're into.

Don't flatter yourself by thinking a giant corporation gives a rat's ass what websites you personally visit.

EDIT - wombat beat me to it.
 
Wow that's highly illegal but no there is no possible way if a "snooper" software was in the os or something like that all our jail-breaky hack friends would of found it. But I think when signing up to AT&T there alowd to look at it.
 
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