Post #2650966
2026-05-17 23:30 UTC
Replies (19)
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@AshtonDev@mastodon.social 2026-05-17 23:41
@rmondello@hachyderm.io thanks for sharing. It would be great if iOS could explain this somehow. Often hear complaints from non-tech users that apps are spying on them when it’s actually a privacy feature. passkeys get misunderstood as sharing biometric data. Great tech but no one knows 🥲
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@huwr@aus.social 2026-05-17 23:47
@rmondello@hachyderm.io I'm glad it's implemented like this! It's this sort of thing that makes lay people wonder if their phones are ‘listening’ somehow :( Thanks for sharing!
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@ptoomey3@mastodon.social 2026-05-17 23:54
@rmondello@hachyderm.io how does the app know which location to specify ahead of time? Do they just register every major airport ahead of time?
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@adamshostack@infosec.exchange 2026-05-17 23:55
@rmondello@hachyderm.io I 100% had this question! https://infosec.exchange/@adamshostack/115006215647058515
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@carrchr@hachyderm.io 2026-05-18 01:58
@rmondello@hachyderm.io TIL thank you Ricky
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@hunter@copland.social 2026-05-18 02:25
@rmondello@hachyderm.io Love this feature. I’ve had a “welcome to Vegas, good luck” notification in my app since it was possible. Privacy preserving, using this trigger.
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@canleaf@mastodon.social 2026-05-18 03:41
@rmondello@hachyderm.io In SFO you are reminded to get a Clipper Card in you passbook app. In DC it is the Smartrip.
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@rusty@ma.zcx.cc 2026-05-18 05:11
@rmondello@hachyderm.io Another variation is the Bluetooth marker that as you walk past it, or otherwise get within range, publishes a pop-up to your device as well. Some people have that feature disabled deliberately on their phones, but it's not a given. Additionally, some things, like Meshtastic devices, can count how many wifi and Bluetooth enabled devices pass them. Handy for counting how many customers in your store carry smart phones, but other uses too. MAC addresses don't provide phone numbers.
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@John_Livingston@mamot.fr 2026-05-18 07:19
@rmondello@hachyderm.io You are saying "unless and until you interact with it", are you sure? The trigger will call some app's code to generate the notification content, no? So the app can send data. Or is the notification content calculated when it is registered? (I have not developped on iOs the last 10years, my memory is not very clear on that topic).
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@kabel42@polymaths.social 2026-05-18 07:51
@rmondello@hachyderm.io Could be iBeacons triggering the app?
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@fluxxdog@app.wafrn.net 2026-05-18 10:35
@rmondello@hachyderm.io I remember a story, years ago, about a dev job hunting. He wrote a little app for his phone that would trigger when he was leaving the interview site, sending a than you note. It sounded impressive at the time. Now…
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@Amdev@mastodon.social 2026-05-18 10:40
@rmondello@hachyderm.io TIL
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@rad@mstdn.ca 2026-05-18 10:58
@rmondello@hachyderm.io I had assumed it was guessing geography changes based on IP, but I also use a VPN so … this had been a mystery to me!
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@Chancerubbage@mastodon.social 2026-05-18 12:05
@rmondello@hachyderm.io Something I do while installing all apps, even those dependent on location to work, is to tap the permissions dialog on installation to allow location services only when using app. I almost never have wifi on unless intentionally, but cell connection can sometimes merge with map info, to interesting results depending how you use your phone there. Even mid air flight. I got some weird ‘use sattelite connection? on watch or phone, and an offer (or thought I’d triggered) SOS mode
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@monnier@oldbytes.space 2026-05-18 13:33
@rmondello@hachyderm.io "unless and until you interact with it"? AFAIK the application's code is used when showing the notification (to decide the content of that notification), so the application gets to know about your movement. Technically the application isn't spying on you, but the result is the same: your smartphone is spying on you and informs those applications whenever you move out-of/into designated areas.
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@alan@hachyderm.io 2026-05-20 01:18
@rmondello@hachyderm.io the other way is when the user takes a ride to the airport you schedule a future push for a few hours away, if they have location disabled
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@leebennett@mastodon.social 2026-05-21 05:41
@rmondello@hachyderm.io Thanks for that. I was wondering why Popeyes restaurant app kept inviting me to stop in every time I passed a store!
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@emma@orbital.horse 2026-06-01 07:28
@rmondello@hachyderm.io that still doesn’t make an unsolicited commercial message an ethical act. It’s not clever, it’s the vile behavior we all expect from Silicon Valley.
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@Npars01@mstdn.social 2026-05-18 01:47
@rmondello@hachyderm.io Yet another reason why murderous petrostate despots adore Apple products so much. https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-crown-prince-visits-apple-google-2018-4 https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/saudi-prince-mbs-silicon-valley-east-palo-alto-12799624.php https://www.wired.com/story/bezos-phone-hack-mbs-saudi-arabia/ https://www.jezebel.com/the-saudi-crown-prince-allegedly-did-hack-jeff-bezoss-p-1841144652 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/21/amazon-boss-jeff-bezoss-phone-hacked-by-saudi-crown-prince https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/24/opinion/jeff-bezos-phone-hack.html https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/01/jeff-bezos-reported-phone-hack-billionaires/605308/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/technology/bezos-phone-hacking.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/us/politics/trump-saudi-dinner-guests.html https://theintercept.com/2018/04/24/mohammed-bin-salman-mbs-saudi-arabia-yemen-war-crimes/