social.wildeboer.net is one of the many independent Mastodon servers you can use to participate in the fediverse.
Mastodon instance for people with Wildeboer as their last name

Server stats:

2
active users

#apple

77 posts50 participants6 posts today

Am I the only one that is wondering why the #unplugtrump discussion is not emphasizing more on the fact that with the #tadpf out of commission, American companies like #microsoft #google #amazon #meta #apple & co actually CANNOT comply with #eu regulations like the #gdpr even on paper?

That is prevented by US laws like the #patriotact and the #cloudact which says US 3-letter services can access ALL data of US companies no matter WHERE it is stored.

Replied in thread

@zak @zenbrowser : a still unfixed vulnerability: if NOT using Touch ID, on some websites you may be able to sign in using a passkey WITHOUT authenticating locally - using biometrics or your passcode (screen unlock code).

⛓️💥 This vulnerability also exists WITH Touch ID set up, provided that "Password Autofill" is disabled.

BTW this vulnerability also permits access to:
icloud.com
account.apple.com
(When asked to provide your fingerprint, tap the X at the top right and tap in the "Email" field one more time).

This is a HUGE risk for people who do not want to use biometrics: if a thief grabs their iPhone when unlocked, or watches them enter their passcode and later steals their iPhone, the thief can use ALL of the owner's passwords and some of their passkeys stored in the "Passwords" app (formerly known as iCloud Keychain).

🎬 This increases the risks of theft as shown by WSJ's Joanna Stern in youtube.com/watch?v=QUYODQB_2wQ.

👶 In addition, a (grand) child or anyone else who (shortly) borrows your iPhone/iPad may have access to more of your cloud-accounts than you're aware of.

🔧 Workaround if you don't want to use biometrics to unlock your iPhone/iPad (this does not fix any problem if a thief learns (or successfully guesses) your passcode (screen unlock PIN or password):

• Set up a Touch ID anyway, for example for your left pinky finger (if you're righthanded)

• Disable "iPhone Unlock" in "Touch ID and Passcode" (visible in the first screenshot).

• Use a safer password manager (such as KeePassium) than the Apple "Passwords" app (iCloud KeyChain).

🚨 In any case:

• Make sure that "Password Autofill" (in settings -> "Touch ID and Passcode") is set to ENABLED;

• When you enter your passcode in a public place (such as a bar, bus or train), make very sure that nobody gets to see you enter it.

So, here's my actually-planned-for-this-year #MARCHintosh project. Attached is a photo of four very dusty containers full of floppy disks. These are the actual disks from my childhood IIfx!

Most of these disks aren't original. The originals lived at Dad's workplace. He would periodically bring home software from work, make a copy of the disks, and return the originals to work. These were, I'm told, the "off-site backups", in case there was a fire at the workplace or something like that. But we also had all this software installed on the family IIfx so Dad could read any files that he brought home from work with him.

Of course, we also bought our own software for the home, and those are mixed in with these disks as well. And that stack of CD-ROMs in the top left are my MacAddict cover disks - those are already archived.

Anyway, because these are just consumer-grade diskettes, they degrade quicker than the professionally-manufactured original ones. I've already lost a few, so I want to get these archived! And of course, anything that doesn't already exist on the Garden will be uploaded there and shared on #GlobalTalk as well.

(expect this to be a long-ass foone-style thread with lots of updates over several days)

"US politicians and privacy campaigners are calling for the private hearing between Apple and the UK government regarding its alleged encryption-busting order to be aired in public."

theregister.com/2025/03/14/app

"Colloquially, the IPA is referred to as the Snooper's Charter since its aims are to legally empower intelligence agencies with greater surveillance powers."

The Register · Apple's alleged UK encryption battle sparks political and privacy backlashBy Connor Jones

Dear Apple,

When you finally do deliver your new AI for the iPhone, it's really important that you make sure the off switch works. It's going to be the first and only feature I use.

Sincerely,
Mil ... SHUT THE HELL UP Siri! I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU!

Ignore me at your peril (or at least the very real threat of a small economic boycott from the Chez Miasma household)

#Apple
#Siri
#Enshitification

Source: theverge.com/news/629940/apple

A hands-on photo of Apple’s iPhone 16E.
The Verge · Leaked Apple meeting shows how dire the Siri situation really isBy Chris Welch

‘Absurd’

When you have the press and civil society camped outside the courtroom, the secret might be out 🤷

Even so, we’re still denied the reasons why the UK government wants to take a battering ram to our security and privacy.

It shows contempt for the public interest in the Apple encryption case.

pressgazette.co.uk/media_law/a

Press Gazette · Press shut out of Home Office’s Snoopers’ Charter Apple encryption tribunalUK news organisations unsuccessfully waited all Friday to argue a secret Apple encryption appeal against the Govt must be heard in public.

I’ve been using #Apple’s shared #Photos albums for years (but even now know nobody else doing so!) — I like being able to share them securely with other Apple users.

Unfortunately, the fruit company is showing no signs of making that functionality interoperable 🤬

I have ideas on using the #DMA to make that happen. But until then, for non-fanboys 😉 here are pics from my last 5 years of travels. Enjoy! icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B28GDd

www.icloud.comiCloud Photo SharingiCloud Photo Sharing lets you share just the photos you want with just the people you choose.

"Google refuses to deny it received encryption order from UK government"

The UK’s encryption-breaking order for a backdoor into iCloud isn’t a one-off.

The secret hearing happening RIGHT NOW is bigger than just Apple. If the government wins, our right to privacy and security falls.

Other services will be hit.

therecord.media/google-refuses

Sign our petition ➡️ you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions

therecord.mediaGoogle refuses to deny it received encryption order from UK governmentU.S. lawmakers say Google has refused to deny that it received a Technical Capability Notice from the U.K. — a mechanism to access encrypted messages that Apple reportedly received.

"This is a significant test for the battle between law enforcement and technology.”

Holding the Apple case in secret makes the legal process more cloak and dagger, less scales and sword.

It makes it harder to challenge the UK government's order to break encryption and creates a dangerous precedent.

This case sets the stage for more shady encryption-breaking orders to be made.

theguardian.com/technology/202

The Guardian · What could Apple’s high court challenge mean for data protection?By Dan Milmo