Someone is listening…(An IPad story).

[Packard]

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.

A recent IOS software update for my IPad has installed some additional privacy features.

One of those features is a indicator light (just below the battery percentage) that lets you know if one of your apps is using your microphone or camera.

Apparently, a round dot (red or orange) indicates that my microphone is active.

A square dot (which I have not yet seen) indicates that your camera is being used.

A couple of times earlier and again today, I have seen the round red dot, even though I have none of the apps open.

Does anyone know how I can figure out which app is listening in on me?  It makes me uneasy knowing this.

The online instructions tell you how to limit access on the IPhone.  The access limiting feature does not appear to be on my older IPad Pro, now running on IOS 16.

According to the privacy feature (App Clips) none of the apps have sought permission to access my microphone.

My conversations are not particularly interesting, but they are my conversations and I would like to keep them that way.

Packard

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi Packard,

if you're running iOS 16, you should be able to control access to your microphone and camera by doing the following:
-- Open "Settings" (grey icon with a gear)
-- Scroll down to "Privacy" (should have a blue icon with a hand)
-- From here, you can scroll down to "Microphone" (orangish icon) or "Camera" (grey icon)
-- If you click on, for instance, "Microphone", you can se which apps have permission to access it

If you're worried, you can disable basically everything, then allow on an as-needed basis. Hope this helps!

 

[Packard]

That’s not what I see.

I click “privacy” and then click “microphone”.

Then I see a blue button that says “App Clips”.

When I click that, I see.  This is what I see:  Applications that have requested access to the microphone will appear hear.

And that space is empty.  No names appear. (And your instructions were the same as I got from the Internet.)

My bank has access to my camera (to deposit checks remotely).

The New York Lottery does too (to check lottery tickets).

Imgur does (for loading photos on their site, I would presume, though I though they lifted the images I upload from my photos collection, not directly from the camera.)

Google also is linked—is that for reading those barcodes?  I think so.

But no listing for the microphone. 

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi Packard,

Hmm, not sure what to tell you, I just tried the process again and had full ability to control which apps (of the apps that have requested access) can access different functions (camera, microphone, etc...). I've had excellent experiences reaching out to AppleCare. They can access your screen and walk you through whatever tasks you want help with. I suspect they'd be able to help you resolve your concerns.

 

[4nthony]

I see numerous apps using Tom's instructions, but one more thing to try (this should be the same on an iPad):

 

[luvmytoolz]

Be werrry careful! ;-)

 

[Packard]

I see numerous apps using Tom's instructions, but one more thing to try (this should be the same on an iPad):

The next time that light comes on again, I will try this.  Thanks.

 

[Packard]

Be werrry careful! ;-)

Mark Z. Wwould probably be disappointed with my conversations.  What would he do with “A tall, black Pike Place please—no room for milk.  Thanks.”

 

[twistsol1]

He'd sell your name and number to Dunkin and Caribou Coffee so you could be advertised to relentlessly, then sell it to a drug dependency clinics that treat caffeine addictions, and every health insurance company that does NOT cover caffeine dependency.

 

[Peter Kelly]

Apple is watching your every move despite what settings you have or haven't enabled and I doubt they'll make any changes until they decide they've gotten too much bad PR from this.https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/21...ta-collection-analytics-personal-info-privacy

If you're looking for a device from a company that's a bit more respectful of your privacy, you'll have to pony up for one of these:https://toughmobile2.bittium.com

 

[Peter Kelly]

He'd sell your name and number to Dunkin and Caribou Coffee so you could be advertised to relentlessly, then sell it to a drug dependency clinics that treat caffeine addictions, and every health insurance company that does NOT cover caffeine dependency.

Quite literally F-Book's advertising model, not a conspiracy at all.

 

[Packard]

I read an article about one of the weather apps after they got caught selling customer information for the second or third time.

The author claimed that no matter what assurances the app made, they will always revert to selling data.  That is how their business model was designed.  Without that revenue channel, they cannot continue to operate. 

After reading that, I simply assume all the apps are selling private information.  I depend on Amex to protect my wallet.  I am not sure how else they could hurt me.

But I am glad I now know how to tell who is listening. The why of it is another matter entirely.

 

[squall_line]

Depending on what settings you have on or off for Siri, 'she' may be the one listening on the microphone.

I turned off the "listen for keyword" Siri activation on my iPad probably the second day I had it sitting on my desk at work; it would constantly think that I was trying to look something up when I was presenting online classes to people.

 

[Packard]

Depending on what settings you have on or off for Siri, 'she' may be the one listening on the microphone.

I turned off the "listen for keyword" Siri activation on my iPad probably the second day I had it sitting on my desk at work; it would constantly think that I was trying to look something up when I was presenting online classes to people.

I never set up Siri.  I never used it.  That might not stop her from listening though.  The next time the orange dot shows, I will check.

 

[Peter Kelly]

After reading that, I simply assume all the apps are selling private information.  I depend on Amex to protect my wallet.  I am not sure how else they could hurt me.

Banks and credit card companies, Amex among them, have been selling your point of sale transaction data to advertisers for years now.