What is the possible information that will be gathered by the further side?

[bj097]

What is the possible information that will be gathered by the further side? e.g. the apps developer.

I mean kinds of information that may be very personal.

In fact, for example, if I allow the access of an apps to my photo album, is it possible that the further side will have a copy of some or all of my photos unconsciously, e.g. even though I allow its access, I am not sending or uploading any picture within the application.

In fact, is Apple serious and sophisticated in handling such possibilities when dealing with third-party apps, do they have strict testing to make sure that my concern is not going to happen?

 

[now i see it]

If you’re worried about someone else seeing your photos - don’t use apps that require access to them. Better yet - don’t keep them on your iPhone.

 

[hoo-man-b-ing]

I think you’re effectively asking “what data (eg photos, files, emails, etc) can apps access and the answer is, “it depends.”

For example, if you use Gmail, Google can access the contents of your email to serve you ads, figure out relationships (eg parents, romantic interests) in addition to all of the other content they list in their Privacy Nutrition Label provided on the App Store. A lot of the content is stored server side, beyond Apple’s control, so assume Gmail (and any other app that stores data) has access to both what you give them locally (eg calendar access) AND any content that they store.

Also, once you give an app access to a capability (eg camera and microphone) apps can later access those capabilities in ways that may not be obvious. For example, Facebook/Instagram had been accessing a user’s camera in the background which was only detected once Apple released the first beta of iOS 14 and included a UX notification showing that the camera was being used. Facebook says this was a bug, but I would wager they mean the bug was “getting caught.”

Since you’re rightfully concerned about this topic, I highly encourage you to review the Privacy Nutrition Label for any app you are already using or consider using. When giving access to capabilities, make sure that the app really needs that to serve its purpose. And, when it requests GPS/Location access, consider whether it needs your precise location (perhaps if you use an app like Lyft) or whether your general area might suffice (if an app wants to show you movie theaters in your area). Also, avoid anything from Facebook/Meta, including WhatsApp and other companies they’ve gobbled up.

And while Apple’s implementation isn’t perfect, it’s significantly better than what I’ve seen from both Microsoft and Google.

 

[antiprotest]

Apple might not be on your side either.

Apple faces lawsuit over 'pervasive and unlawful' iPhone tracking

As you browse the App Store, detailed usage data is sent to Apple.

www.macworld.com