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Remove tracking/Add option to disable tracking #48

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JohnMH opened this issue Dec 8, 2016 · 18 comments
Closed

Remove tracking/Add option to disable tracking #48

JohnMH opened this issue Dec 8, 2016 · 18 comments

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@JohnMH
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JohnMH commented Dec 8, 2016

I am concerned that this software is tracking users without their consent, and without the option for users to disable this tracking. After reviewing the source of this application, I see that almost every event is tracked.

@mamaral
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mamaral commented Dec 8, 2016

Feel free to open a pull request.

@JohnMH
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JohnMH commented Dec 8, 2016 via email

@mamaral
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mamaral commented Dec 9, 2016

Just curious, if you're not an iOS developer, don't know the language, and don't have an iOS device, what lead you to "review the source" of this application?

@JohnMH
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JohnMH commented Dec 9, 2016 via email

@JohnMH
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JohnMH commented Dec 9, 2016 via email

@mamaral
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mamaral commented Dec 9, 2016

No, and obviously you can tell from the code I track exactly zero personal information. I mainly use it for high-level basic usage and error tracking so I can make the experience better for people. I believe I track 7 events TOTAL in the entire app. Given that I put this software out for free, without ads, purely for fun in my free time and for educational purposes its highly unlikely I'll get the time and resources to have a privacy policy drafted and submit an update to the app store.

@JohnMH
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JohnMH commented Dec 9, 2016 via email

@mamaral
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mamaral commented Dec 9, 2016

I could. That would require writing the code and submitting a new version to the app store, which given that (as mentioned) I make no money from this, have a full-time career and a normal life, I honestly don't have the time or desire to bother with. It also would reset all of the nice reviews I've gotten on the current version of the app that I regularly glance at when I'm feeling down.

I'd rather disable the Google analytics account and not be bothered with it at all, because honestly other than knowing a some edge-case HTTP errors the app has encountered in the past, the information I track is virtually meaningless to me.

@JohnMH
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JohnMH commented Dec 9, 2016 via email

@mamaral
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mamaral commented Dec 9, 2016

It's easier to delete the Google analytics tracking bucket for that "code" than it is to remove it from the app and re-submit. As soon as I can figure out how to delete it on the Google console, I will. Tell your associate he can opt-out by uninstalling the app if he is truly concerned that I know if he answered 'Yes' or 'No' when prompted to leave a review or that he hit a button.

@mamaral
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mamaral commented Dec 9, 2016

R.I.P. Analytics.

screenshot 2016-12-09 00 39 04

@mamaral mamaral closed this as completed Dec 9, 2016
@fergusean
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This is fucking ridiculous. Your entire web browsing experience is tracked by AdSense. Your credit card company probably tracks where you spend your money and shares that information. That is the age we live in, and there's a reason for it: it's effective. Do you really want to receive ads you don't care about in the slightest, or would you rather be served advertisements that might actually appeal to your interests and introduce you to something you wouldn't otherwise know about?

The fact that this app tracks stats ANONYMOUSLY on what functions of the app are most used is far far far far far (I can't repeat that enough) less invasive than anything Facebook, Google, etc do on a regular basis. As @mamaral said, it helps improve the experience for the parts of the app people care about. The fact that you take an issue with this, @JohnMHarrisJr, is asinine. If you don't like it, don't use the app. It's as simple as that.

@JohnMH
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JohnMH commented Dec 9, 2016 via email

@JohnMH
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JohnMH commented Dec 9, 2016 via email

@mamaral
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mamaral commented Dec 9, 2016

Sure, I don't track button presses anymore. Everybody wins!! Thanks for the feedback.

@fergusean
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@JohnMHarrisJr since you clearly know nothing about how all of this works, I'd like to educate you:

Long ago, Apple removed the ability for applications to determine the device's unique identifier. In fact, all identifiers: WiFi MAC, Bluetooth MAC, serial number, and device unique identifier. The only things remaining are a vendor identifier and an advertising identifier. The former is common among all apps from the same vendor (aka publisher aka developer). The latter is common among all applications on your device, but a) Apple should be rejecting any use that isn't for advertising, and b) has a system-level opt out. That said, this application (though I haven't reviewed the source in a while, but I'm relatively sure) does not use the latter. The former, which is likely what Google Analytics uses (due to Apple's restrictions), means that no other application (unless you happen to have other apps from @mamaral) uses the same identifier, which means there's no correlation between your usage of this app and any other app. And since this app not only doesn't report no personal information, but also doesn't request or store any personal information, what harm or even theoretical potential of harm could possibly come from collecting (yes, literally anonymous) metrics of what functionality of the application is most used?

Please please please educate yourself on how this shit works before complaining about an app "tracking users", because the reality is: it's not. The only thing it's tracking is behavior, with no correlation to "users".

@JohnMH
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JohnMH commented Dec 10, 2016

@fergusean Those arbitrary restrictions are ridiculous, and don't actually serve any purpose in reference to privacy.

There is no such thing a privacy on a device consisting primarily of proprietary software. I am absolutely certain that there are a number of workarounds to gain access to the information that you said is protected.

I don't think you understand what tracking is. It doesn't matter whether or not you're collecting personal information. Collecting any information from the user, especially user input, is an invasion of privacy. Tracking user behavior is obviously tracking the user.

@mamaral
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mamaral commented Dec 10, 2016

There is no such thing a [sic] privacy on a device consisting primarily of proprietary software.

Take it up with Apple.

Repository owner locked and limited conversation to collaborators Dec 10, 2016
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