Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

> Most apps do have a legitimate reason for accessing the internet

I just flat out think this is bullshit

 help



You are right, it is BS.

Non-multiplayer games, clock, camera, contacts, phone, text message, file explorer, keyboard, launcher, notes, document viewer/editor, image viewer, audio recorder...

Most of the apps on my phone do not need internet access.


Almost all of the apps you mentioned sync data to, or access data from iCloud in the vast majority of use cases. I mention iCloud here because this submission is about iOS.

That said, I'd love to have a new "Internet access" permission for apps, so users had the choice. Perhaps even separate "Allow iCloud" and "Allow Internet" but that's probably too granular for Apple's taste.


For that case, iOS could just run a system daemon to shuttle the app data to/from iCloud. The app itself should not need internet access for this.

I have no idea if this is what already happens, but I feel like it might be. (Why would each app have all these network connections when the system could just manage it instead?)


Every single one of those, except for the games, is a pre-installed built in app. It seems like you just don't use apps.

> is a … app

> you just don't use apps.

An app isn't an "app" if I don't install it?

I have banking "apps" and others which obviously do require internet access to function properly, but the hundreds of flashlight apps in the app store should not need the internet.

The app I use to back up my text messages and contacts does not need internet, but the other app that I use to copy those backup files and pictures off my phone to other computers does.

The sad thing is, even if I take steps to prevent others getting access to my contacts or text messages, sketchy companies will still get those same contacts and quite possibly most of those messages from everyone else.

We need "herd immunity" when it comes to digital privacy, but it's unlikely to ever happen.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: