What if any privacy benefits social media via browser vs apps.

1648 Views 9 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Macfury, 5 mo ago

Mac_Daddy

Discussion Starter · 6 mo ago

Curious if I do all my social media engagements via a browser as oppose to having the app (with various settings turned off or on) if it's more private. With facebook via browser for example I know I am only giving access to my device's stored files on a per need basis and not all the time. Too via browser I do not need to give access to my iPhone's contact list. I do know iPhone has a number of settings that can be turned off for privacy, do not know if this makes the social media apps nonfunctional unless I do enable certain settings. At any rate just recently got an iPhone for the first time and I'm wanting to minimize tracking and invasion of privacy while still wanting access to social media apps. Just wondering if I should avoid social media apps altogether or if using apps + certain settings is the same thing.

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pm-r

· #2 · 6 mo ago (Edited by Moderator)

Mac_Daddy said:
Just wondering if I should avoid social media apps altogether or if using apps + certain settings is the same thing.

Good questions and I don't really know the answers but I would be inclined to do a fair bit of Googling to find out and maybe start off with a search for something like:
mac how to protect youself if using social media

Then add some more specific searches that more match your usage and look for the answers or at least the comments some may provide.

And I am sure some members will be able to provide you with some good information based on their experiences.

Bottom line, do not provide any personal information or addresses and maybe check out the privacy policy of each site you are planning on using. And I know I would avoid any such media place like any plague that insist on any personal data such as contact lists excetera. At most they will get my name and maybe birthdate, and certainly no friends or acquaintances information.

As far as I know, Apple does a pretty good job of protecting a users info and data as long as the user doesn't do anything stupid to break that protection. And we read and hear almost daily in the news of many individuals who do just that. But it's hard to fix stupidity.

- Patrick
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Mac_Daddy

Discussion Starter · #3 · 6 mo ago

So iOS gives people the ability to turn off tracking for apps and perhaps some other opt out features. So out of that I wonder if it's the same as if I went on social media via browser. I know on android some apps want access to contacts, photos, friend's lists, camera, location so on. Some of these apps will not even work without giving all these permissions. Via browser I can choose what and what not to share at any given moment, though of course facebook has access to my instagram as it's all part of the same company. One of the reasons I moved to iPhone is wanting to get out of the Google eco-system where I'm tracked and data mined in so many ways all the time. Not sure if for example I install the facebook app on my iPhone if I have to give access to data on my iPhone that I don't want to give else the app is useless.

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pm-r

· #4 · 5 mo ago

Mac_Daddy said:
Not sure if for example I install the facebook app on my iPhone if I have to give access to data on my iPhone that I don't want to give else the app is useless.

I would strongly suggest that if any application you install on your iPhone or iDevice or Mac for that matter insists on access to any data or files that belong to you, then I wouldn't even think of installing any such application if it would give others than yourself access. No way...

Maybe have a read of any privacy policy the software or application may provide, and hope they are honest about it.

- Patrick
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Peterweb

· #5 · 5 mo ago

If you look in the App Store and check the information given for the Facebook app, the list of data that the app can use to track you, or data that is linked to you is scary. I certainly would not want that on my phone.

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Vader101

· #6 · 5 mo ago

Peterweb said:
If you look in the App Store and check the information given for the Facebook app, the list of data that the app can use to track you, or data that is linked to you is scary. I certainly would not want that on my phone.

View attachment 94731

View attachment 94730

From what I’ve read, the FB app is a terrible app to have installed on your idevice. From chewing through battery life to terrible privacy.

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pm-r

· #7 · 5 mo ago

Vader101 said:
From what I’ve read, the FB app is a terrible app to have installed on your idevice. From chewing through battery life to terrible privacy.

Like it and its many companion applications, one doesn't have to look very far to find out if they are recommended or not. Just try a quick search like this for a quick sample:

is iOS Facebook.app reliable - Google Search

- Patrick
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Macfury

· #8 · 5 mo ago

pm-r, instructing people to use Google is not very helpful.

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pm-r

· #9 · 5 mo ago

Macfury said:
pm-r, instructing people to use Google is not very helpful.

Many users don't know how to use a web search engine and providing them a source allows them to check easily and also allows them to broaden their knowledge base a lot more than a few members replies and their opinions, but I would say they are all beneficial to help answer a user's question or query.

BTW, did you have a proper, beneficial reply for the OP??? I didn't notice one, so my apologies if I missed it. ;-)

- Patrick
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Macfury

· #10 · 5 mo ago

They are coming here to find answers that are difficult to find, not to be instructed on how to use Google... a skill that is almost universal.

pm-r said:
Many users don't know how to use a web search engine and providing them a source allows them to check easily and also allows them to broaden their knowledge base a lot more than a few members replies and their opinions, but I would say they are all beneficial to help answer a user's question or query.

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