One for the Apple fans.

[Chippy_Tea]

I think all of us using Chrome and windows know by now we are being watched but Apple users have always thought their OS didnt do this well it seems they may be doing exactly that -



Apple Snooping on users and sending the result unencrypted.

It turns out that in the current version of the macOS, the OS sends to Apple a hash (unique identifier) of each and every program you run, when you run it. Lots of people didn’t realize this, because it’s silent and invisible and it fails instantly and gracefully when you’re offline, but today the server got really slow and it didn’t hit the fail-fast code path, and everyone’s apps failed to open if they were connected to the internet.

Because it does this using the internet, the server sees your IP, of course, and knows what time the request came in. An IP address allows for coarse, city-level and ISP-level geolocation, and allows for a table that has the following headings:

Date, Time, Computer, ISP, City, State, Application Hash

Apple (or anyone else) can, of course, calculate these hashes for common programs: everything in the App Store, the Creative Cloud, Tor Browser, cracking or reverse engineering tools, whatever.

This means that Apple knows when you’re at home. When you’re at work. What apps you open there, and how often. They know when you open Premiere over at a friend’s house on their Wi-Fi, and they know when you open Tor Browser in a hotel on a trip to another city.

“Who cares?” I hear you asking.

https://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,25349.0.html

 

[Rodcx500z]

I don't own a gun carry a knife or anything dodgy also you have a cast iron alibi of your were abouts, so no worrys

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I wonder if this is true, or fake news

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Anyway, having done the Big Sur update yesterday, my Mac Mini is running NOTHING or at least running it veeeeeeeery sloooooooooowly. I swear their new OS releases are designed specifically to make you think your current machine is too slow and you should buy a new one.

 

[Clint]

Of course they're tracking us..it's a legal requirement in the UK for all mobile phones to have a tracker fitted...and it works even when the phone is switched off. It pings off every mast you pass.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I wonder if this is true, or fake news

Its a well known site that has been around several years i don't think the owner would allow the thread if it was BS.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Of course they're tracking us..it's a legal requirement in the UK for all mobile phones to have a tracker fitted...and it works even when the phone is switched off. It pings off every mast you pass.

As someone who worked in mobile telecoms (and security) for over 20 years I can say I very VERY VERY much doubt it. Please supply a reference to this legal requirement of which you speak.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Time for a beer

 

[jof]

As someone who worked in mobile telecoms (and security) for over 20 years I can say I very VERY VERY much doubt it. Please supply a reference to this legal requirement of which you speak.

I agree with Engineer. When phone is off, its off, else everyone would notice that a powered down phone drained it battery too fast.
But on the up side for security, new phones & versions of android are much better.
At my last place of employment we wrote software for telecoms companies to monitor their performance. On old android handsets we could get encryption keys from the diagnostics over the usb port on standard handsets.
But in the last few years we had to get special engineering (debugging) firmware on the phones to be able to do that.

 

[Clint]

I have no reference...except the spoken word of a police man.
A few years ago on s night shift the police turned up at the factory saying they'd had a call off a woman saying she was worried about her boyfriend..who worked with us and hadn't turned up...the Bobby said they'd find him even though his phone was off ..a few hours later we heard they'd traced him to Devon or Cornwall,can't remember exactly..

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Time for a beer

Time for several no work tomorrow.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I am no expert on apple devices but in the OP i was meaning Apple computers not phones the list below states macOS runs on -

• 2012 MacBook Airs
• mid-2012 MacBook Pro
• 2013 MacBook Pro
• 2012 Mac mini
• 2013 Mac mini
• 2012 iMacs
• 2013 iMacs

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I have no reference...except the spoken word of a police man.
A few years ago on s night shift the police turned up at the factory saying they'd had a call off a woman saying she was worried about her boyfriend..who worked with us and hadn't turned up...the Bobby said they'd find him even though his phone was off ..a few hours later we heard they'd traced him to Devon or Cornwall,can't remember exactly..

My apologies @Clint - I didn’t mean to be so rude :hat:

 

[Clint]

No problem...didn't detect any rudeness at all!

 

[Nidger]

I don't own a gun carry a knife or anything dodgy also you have a cast iron alibi of your were abouts, so no worrys

I have too many guns

 

[Nidger]

It's ok @Rodcx500z
They're only air guns
The lad and I used to be members of a local shooting range but it got seriously scaled down, add in lockdown and idiots who abuse guns and it's not worth bothering now,
They just sit in their cases

 

[muppix]

Date, Time, Computer, ISP, City, State, Application Hash

With the exception of Application Hash that data (and far, far more besides) is logged by GCHQ via your ISP for every single internet request you make, and retained for a number of years.

This means that Apple knows when you’re at home. When you’re at work. What apps you open there, and how often. They know when you open Premiere over at a friend’s house on their Wi-Fi, and they know when you open Tor Browser in a hotel on a trip to another city.

No, it doesn't.

Nothing in that data can be used to identify an individual. Most IP addresses are dynamically assigned, meaning they're shared between all the customers using an ISP. Even if you've paid for a static address then that's shared between all the people using that internet connection, with only your router knowing which internal client to send traffic to. Because the internet wouldn't work if it didn't. The only other thing in there is Application Hash which is specific to a version and release of a program, not an individual copy. So it would be the same for your friend's copy of Premiere, or your neighbour's copy of Tor.

If privacy is a concern then you should ensure nobody around you or in your circle of friends uses software by Zuckerberg or Google, both of whom have absurdly efficient ways of gathering your personal information which is then used to deliver targeted content from the highest bidder. I work in a similar industry and can't believe people use WhatsApp / Chrome / Android ... don't even get me started.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

.

 

[muppix]

Oh, Really? Have a read of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. There are no National Security exemptions.

Not really got the time to pick apart that whole doc - give us a brief synopsis? My understanding is broadly in line with this summary:

The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 expanded the electronic surveillance powers of the UK intelligence community and police. In particular, web and phone companies are required to store records of websites visited by customers for 12 months.

Infamously dubbed the “Snooper’s Charter”, the Investigatory Powers Act’s provisions include new powers for the bulk collection and interception of communications data. In particular, communication service providers are required to collect Internet connection records (ICRs) and the following information:

• IP address
• Device used to connect to the internet (computer, phone)
• List of websites visited
• List of services used
• Timestamps of connections to websites and services

 

[Clint]

They monitor your texts/ emails for certain content/words too...isn't it that place up in Yorkshire..the old cold war listening station thingy? That's not on the maps...looks like a sci-fi set?