This is literally just the r/nyt subreddit about The New York Times.

Given he apparently takes inspiration from Elon Musk, it’s only a matter of time until u/spez starts adding post view limits unless you pay extra.

  • kn0wmad1c@programming.dev
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    1 year ago

    If you install the duckduckgo browser and turn on app tracking protection, you’ll see just how much data is harvested from mobile apps, which is genuinely scary.

    This is why these sites are pushing the mobile app. It’s much harder to prevent trackers through an app than it is through a web browser.

    • Tot@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I just installed this and am trying the app tracking protection (it’s in beta, for those reading who haven’t used it). Shockingly, Candy Crush Soda doesn’t come up with a list of junk being tracked. whew or something

      Here’s a screenshot from Discord:

      • Vahtos@programming.dev
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        1 year ago

        Some of that seems unnecessary (device boot time). But it’s not all scary spooky tracking. Some permissions/information is required for certain features.

        For example, you can’t rotate your app UI if you’re not allowed to know screen orientation. Or maybe they do a low power mode if device battery is low, or a warning that the app might not function well if the OS or device is old.

        Not saying you’re wrong or that Discord is right. Just pointing out that a long list of permissions isn’t on its own a bad thing, if those permissions are required for specific features, and not just for the sake of data harvesting.

        • Funwayguy@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          This is why though I appreciate what DDG is doing, it’s not informing users about the context of what these permissions are used for, leading to a lot of fear over the wrong things. The data may not even be leaving the device but the implication DDG makes is that it is.

          As a side note, I prefer to use DNS66 to filter data and ads by domain, then manually set my Android app permissions as needed.

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      How is DuckDuckGo Browser able to see what data other apps are trying to collect? I would have expected Android’s app sandboxing to block that sort of thing. Does the device need to be rooted or something?

      • kn0wmad1c@programming.dev
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        1 year ago

        When you turn on app tracking protection, it activates an always-on VPN that funnels the trackers to a deadzone so that they can’t actually phone home.