cross-posted from: https://social.fossware.space/post/123876

In the few short hours since I started using #Threads, #DuckDuckGo has already blocked over 200 data tracking attempts. These include things like “headphone status” and “screen density.”

Trackers, trackers and ol’ Zucc’s roboface galore.

  • @[email protected]English
    -2•2 years ago

    I mean… many of those are reasonable? I don’t see how checking the available device memory, screen resolution, screen rotation, etc are bad since the app could use them to improve the experience. Lower RAM = don’t preload as many posts, lower screen resolution = load smaller images, etc. all of which need to send flags to the server (a smaller number of posts to load, the max dimensions of images to return, etc)

    • sapient [they/them]English
      3•2 years ago

      This is obviously not the case when your client could just directly request things within it’s resource limits.

      Seriously, why would you give Meta the benefit of the doubt? These are just more datapoints to profile and analyze users.

      • @[email protected]English
        0•2 years ago

        These are just more datapoints to profile and analyze users.

        I’m just being realistic. Seeing it in DuckDuckGo just means the app has requested that data - they don’t actually know exactly how it’s used. Just seeing that the data is loaded by the app doesn’t mean anything. So far, nobody has actually been able to prove that any of this data is used for profiling users. Analyzing network traffic isn’t too difficult so there’d likely be proof by now if it was actually happening (like Wireshark captures).

        • sapient [they/them]English
          1•2 years ago

          Profiling happens on the server end, but the unique identification can happen either on the server end or the client end or both.

          And it’s Meta. Their entire organisation is dedicated to manipulation, data collection, etc. - hell, they might do the profiling inside the app and only send results. What’s “realistic” is expecting them to spy on you, not giving an organisation like them any benefit of the doubt!

        • @[email protected]English
          1•2 years ago

          There is, how do you think Cambridge Analytica did it. They’ve literally already been sued over this, it’s been confirmed they are collecting and using this data against users.

  • Gamers_Mate
    4•2 years ago

    I wonder if this is why the site just shows up as a blank screen for me?

      • @[email protected]English
        18•2 years ago

        Potentially, and Ive also seen it used for ads. The first time Spotify noticed me mute my system and paused the ad, I became enraged. Its’s a step too far. Luckily with external speakers I can just mute at the speaker level instead.

        • Midnight_IceEnglish
          8•2 years ago

          That’s like that Black Mirror episode where the people are required to keep their eyes open and focused on the screen for everything

        • Schwim DandyEnglish
          11•2 years ago

          If you’re using Spotify on Windows, consider installing a system ad blocker like Adguard for Windows and route Spotify traffic through it. It will strip the ads.

          If you’re using Spotify on Android, consider installing the app through X-Manager, which will give you an ad-free experience.

          • @[email protected]English
            1•2 years ago

            This was at work a few years ago. I don’t use windows at home. But thank you for providing those recommendations. Hopefully a fellow Lemming will find them useful!

  • stackPeek
    40•2 years ago

    What I hate about this is that they say things like “Try the best to protect users’ privacy” etc then do shits like this

    • Ronno
      17•2 years ago

      Well, they need to know your device rotation to serve you the perfect ads! /s
      Seriously, I wouldn’t mind them knowing a thing or two about me, when I’m using their services. But tracking everything, just because they can, is just obnoxious. If you would translate this to the real world, you would definitely get arrested when you would stand on the corner of the street, noting down everything you see, every dimension/detail of every person walking by. You would be labeled “creep”. But if Facebook does it, governments go like: You can build your new data center right here, don’t mind the measly peasants that currently live in the village nearby

  • Naja KaouthiaEnglish
    31•2 years ago

    Christ on a bike, does it want my gym locker combination as well?

    • @[email protected]English
      11•2 years ago

      No but it needs access to your front camera so it can record your face before and after using threads. They want to see if their engagement algorithms made you mad so then they can tell it’s working

  • Darkhoof
    9•2 years ago

    This will completely empty out Twitter. It’s just like that scene on Godzilla when both monsters are fighting and the science dude just says to “let them fight”.

    • Chariotwheel
      9•2 years ago

      Yeah, kinda. The crowd that cares move to Mastodon, that crowd that chases moves to Threads.

      Now, there is still value in Twitter as long as content creators and companies post there. When we see companies pull out and content creators en masse setting up shop somewhere else the end is coming. Huge communites that depend on being huge rarely if ever can return from a real downwards spiral.

      • BraveSirZaphod
        2•2 years ago

        You’re already seeing a lot of the celebrities and brands move over. I imagine their replies being filled with normal people rather than the blue check crypto nerds is a pretty big draw.

  • @[email protected]English
    92•2 years ago

    Not sure just mildly infuriating 😅

    Also infuriating: the number of my friends who have installed this shitty app 😑

    • BraveSirZaphod
      0•2 years ago

      Okay, this is an honest question.

      Why do you care? How does it matter at all to you what apps your friends use? How does it affect you?

      I can totally understand people valuing their privacy strongly and refusing to use mainstream corporate social media. I can also understand people who don’t care about that and decide that they get more out of it than they give.

      Given that people posting on a social network that you’re not on has essentially no effect on you at all beyond a vague bit of FOMO, why does it matter?

      • @[email protected]English
        11•2 years ago

        It’s a valid question and I understand your point, but it becomes an issue for me when I end up being caught up the a snowball effect and need to use a bad app too. Here in Europe, WhatsApp is an example of something I’d rather not use, but because it’s the platform everyone else is on, it’s very difficult to avoid. The parallel I see is if Twitter is supplanted not by Mastodon, but by Threads, then that is the place people will gravitate towards and then the privacy friendly version becomes less useful due to lack of users and content.

        Of course it is an option to just not use these apps, but the preferably outcome is that I am able to have the nice experience without sacrificing my privacy.

      • Admiral PatrickEnglish
        25•2 years ago

        Why do I care?

        Well, I get all manner of spam texts because my mom gave some shitty app permissions to access her contacts. The spam messages are directed to me by name.

        It’s not just their personal info they’re putting at risk when they click “agree” on data sucking apps.

        • TheEmpireStrikesDakEnglish
          14•2 years ago

          Yes, whatsapp has my real name and phone number on their servers without my consent because several people I know have my details saved in their phone contacts, and when someone signs up to WhatsApp, they give my personal contact information to WhatsApp because the person signing up to WhatsApp consented to give it, not me. Tbf it’s the same for all messenger apps these days. I miss MSN Messenger.

            • TheEmpireStrikesDakEnglish
              4•2 years ago

              I installed signal a few weeks ago just to see if it was any good and it does also take your contacts’ details (I got the popup asking for access).

              • @[email protected]English
                1•2 years ago

                oh gotcha. I wonder if signal ever sends them to a server or if they’re always on-device and/or encrypted

    • @[email protected]English
      19•2 years ago

      And their justification of it.

      Edit: since for whatever reason i couldn’t reply to @[email protected], i’ll edit my comment here:

      I have no issue with the difference in opinion, but idk, if giving up way more privacy than it needed to run the app doesn’t seems bad to you, i have nothing much to add 😐

      • BraveSirZaphod
        -3•2 years ago

        What, that they have different priorities and value for things like privacy vs social interaction than you do? Is that such a bad thing?

  • driftyEnglish
    9•2 years ago

    How do I block trackers like you have?

    • @[email protected]English
      6•2 years ago

      Firefox also has an option to block third party trackers by default if you choose their strict setting, but DuckDuckGo has a more comprehensive solution.

    • @[email protected]English
      11•2 years ago

      Install the Duck Duck Go browser, and sign up for the “App Tracking Protection” beta in the settings. Once you are enabled for the beta. Enable it in the settings. It acts like a VPN on your device.