Submitted 5 months ago by RandAlThor@lemmy.ca to technology@lemmy.world
https://bsky.app/profile/muellershewrote.com/post/3m2am5hhvxk2w
I get the outrage, I really do, but the app broke many privacy rights and also the app did technically break ToS by definition being a “doxxing” app.
Regardless, there are websites out there that do it far better than the app, and have universal access Apple and Android devices, which makes sense, because the developer of ICEBlock made it exclusive to Apple, and hispanic communities are overwhelmingly Android users.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently gave Trump a 24 carat gold bribe.
That is just so sad that it’s the way you have to do business. Constant praising and sucking up.
It’s only objectionable to fascists who are getting their sensitive little fee fees hurt
Was this ever even available to non-US accounts? Was there ever an explanation for why it was georestricted?
It’s an app about ICE, why would it be available to non-US accounts? It was pawbably georestricted by the developer, just like most apps that have a geoblock.
Because ICE targets people not from the US?
Google’s sideloading restrictions seems almost like its perfectly timed… 👀
Anyways, Google can gargle my:
How to choose between this and GrapheneOS, etc? I feel ready for the switch too.
Mostly: Price
Are you willing to, either: (a) spend $500-$600 for a new Google Pixel? (the 9 that is, I don’t think 10 is ready for GrapheneOS yet), or (b) willing to dig into the second hand market and potentially get not-unlockable phones? (those run rampant in the used market, note that Carrier Unlock does not equate to Bootloader Unlock, and Verizon ones are guaranteed to not allow bootloader unlocking, unsure about other carriers)?
(Also you are kinda supporting google if you get a new one btw.)
I personally don’t wanna spend $500 since if it ever breaks, its hard to replace or even repair. And I hate dealing with the used market.
So for me, Graphene isn’t an option.
I went for the cheapest new Moto that has custom ROM support, Moto G 5G 2024 for $140 (carrier variants do not unlock).
I’m basically still testing to see what wouldn’t work, haven’t really be using it as a “daily driver”
I’ve also come across the CMF Phone 1 which is OLED and supports e/OS its about $300
TLDR: Get Graphene if you can afford a pixel or willing to look for a used phone from a reputable source. I personally do not like used phones because I think there’s too much risks IMO, you might assess the risks differently. Other options are Moto G 5G 2024 for $140 which runs both LineageOS and e/OS, or CMF (by Nothing) Phone 1 which runs e/OS and is an overall much better phone, but its more expensive, at $250 for 128 GB and $300 GB.
Oh one last thing: Even “New” “Unlocked” cheap Pixels on sites like Amazon aren’t guaranteed to unlock. I was looking at older pixels like the 6a, 7, 7a and checked the reviews and some comments indicate they are locked to Verizon because the reseller didn’t unlock it for some reason, so I’m get the vibes that its unsold stock previously owned by carriers, so I don’t know if they’ll bootloader unlock, even if its SIM unlocked. Where as CMF never has carrier variants, so they all should unlock.
google also recently removed thier similar anti-ice app.
I miss my Blackberry Curve. ☹️
When I had an iPhone 3GS I got in a hot tub with it in my pocket and it died. I let it dry out. Then I very carefully took it apart and found all the little white stickers inside that turn from white to pink when in contact with water. I used a razor blade to remove those stickers without damaging them. I then placed a drop of bleach on each which turned them back to white and let them dry out. I used very tiny amounts of super glue to re-apply them to the exact same positions within the phone and then very carefully reassembled the phone.
Took the phone into an Apple store. Guy disappeared into the back for about 10 minutes with it. Came back out and said it must have just up and died but he doesn’t know how and gave me a new iPhone.
Only Apple product I’ve ever owned.
Fuck you Apple.
nooice
Oh no
Was likely a honeypot the whole time…
This is cowardice from Apple, but ICEBlock was not a good app:
Doesn’t matter if it was good or not.
Apps used only for criminal activities should not be on the store. It’s insane that they even let it get on the store in the first place.
The only criminality involved with ICEblock would be that of ICE kidnapping and detaining people, even people legally in the country and including US citizens.
This kind of thing is coming for Android as well once Google has converted it to it’s own walled garden bullshit.
remember when Tim Apple gifted tRump a golden statue? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
I remember him being gifted a golden pager and I’m still holding out hope that he gets the call.
Yeah, but are Apple users going to punish Apple for glazing Trump’s tiny manhood by not buying Apple products?
Tim Apple certainly doesn’t think so.
I mean I’m doing my best to only buy second hand iPhones and replace them 5-10 years. The power of Apple is the reoccurring revenues of software and the new phone buyers
It’s really not that bad a compromise, as far as bribes go. Some cheap gaudy bauble as payment for not interfering with billions of dollars in business?
It’s still a bribe and it’s still encouraging mango mussolini, but very efficient tradeoff
This is why the web is way better than any app store. Any future phones should have a first class web experience imo.
Cloudflare are now behind ladybird so I’m hoping it becomes a legit challenger.
It’s how I browse Lemmy - I sometimes forget that my home-pinned app, Voyager, isn’t actually from the app store.
Voyager is on the play store and App Store?
What the fuck is a DIDs?
I had to look it up too
Apparently it stands for “decentralized identifiers”
From what I’m gathering it’s a client based web protocol That works in conjunction with DNS
I’m only just learning about this, but don’t the encrypted DNS protocols solve the privacy problem?
Or do you mean more like not being able to trust a registrar or public DNS server?
Usually when people complain about DNS, they’re talking about stability issues. In this case I think he’s pointing out how centralized it is, and how a bad actor could cause significant issues
At a local level, the most common issue I know of is ISPs blocking sites at the DNS level by feeding in fake information that redirects you to one of the ISP’s blocked/parked domains. Usually implemented to prevent customers going to piracy sites. It’s not much of an issue to subvert currently, as you can simply use any public DNS provider
That being said, much of that has been consolidated into a dozen or so tech companies. In the current political climate, I could see a coordinated effort happening between those tech companies to block sites deemed non gratis. Obviously there’s still ways to subvert it, but the vast majority of user’s won’t be able to
the USA Goverment probably forced them to remove it
They also caved into PRC government and they removed the apps that reported on HK police activity and added restrictions for airdrop to make information sharing harder.
No, they don’t have to. The corporations are the ones who want to control everyone. The U.S government is just a tool for them. The politicians are basically just actors at this point.
It’s a bit more complicated than that and trump also isn’t as easy to control cause he is a member of the billionare class. It’s why there was that movement to try and replace trump with DeSantis. There’s also multiple factions. of billionaires as well. Some of them are idealogical fascists. Some only care about money. Some are technofeudalists. Corporations or more accuratlely Capitalists control the government yes. But the billionare class isn’t a monolith. There’s also a cost benefit analysis. Morals aside there is little benefit for apple to oppose trump unless they think opposing trump will significantly impact their sales. Which reasonably don’t think will be the case. especially if the competitor is also playing ball.
not probably; the doj forced apple to remove it and apple caved: https://www.404media.co/iceblock-owner-after-apple-removes-app-we-are-determined-to-fight-this/
I keep seeing things about how x, y or z company “caved” to government pressure, as if companies have ever made value judgements in the modern era. What this decision would have come down to, the only thing it could legally come down to, is shareholder value. Considering Apple secured a reprieve on tariffs, it’s absolutely within reason that Trump and/or his administration threatened them with cancelling said reprieve. At that point, the decision would be based off the loss of sales for taking it down, against the loss of sales of devices due to tariff price increases.
Apple has a fiduciary duty to their shareholders first and foremost. There is nothing stopping this batshit insane administration from enacting tariffs, and then using the SEC and DOJ to investigate and bring charges that they aren’t upholding their responsibilities to their investors.
ofc
They probably just hinted. These companies are eager to please Trump. Remember the trophy Tim Apple gave Trump? Capitalists love fascism.
not even a solid gold base, a cheap gold base, with a “glass sculpture”
oh yeah,makes sense tho
no shit
ICE is objectionable… did they got “confused”?
Does anyone remember how the Devs from there didnt want to release for Android because ApPlE iS sOoOo mUcH mOoOrE sEcUrE
Get rekt.
There’s a similar app for Android.
Same problems
Not open source for once
In terms of security alone, iPhones easily beat most Android phones. Which may be a fair argument in favor of iPhones. However, to ignore Apple’s policies and long history of delisting similar apps is delusional.
In terms of security alone, iPhones easily beat most Android phones
That’s not how security works in the modern tech landscape. No major OS is going to meet a high security standard out of the box. All of them have to be configured to the desired security level, then be added to ongoing security efforts. Every major OS can be secured to the highest security standards
The primary difference is how much effort each takes, but even then there isn’t much of a difference. You’ll find tooling and in-house expertise makes a much larger difference than the OS
The myth that some OS are inherently secure really needs to die off
Always funny watching apple users think they know something.
In regards to security, Apple does have three upsides, and only those:
The solution for the first one is “don’t sideload untrusted stuff” and the solution to the second and third one is “buy an Android phone from a trusted manufacturer that has long term OS support”.
This shouldn’t be on the app store. It gives the US government too much access to pull data from it, or order it pulled down. This should be a web app that can be accessed by any device and can be obscured by VPN access so the regime can’t persecute participants. Apps pull way too much data from phones that ICE can subpoena.
Disclaimer: The app is closed source, so all we can go off is the developer’s word, although the fact the government removed it is a strong indicator they don’t have access to data from the app
The developer stated they do not even retain any identifying data, so the only data the government could get is public anyway. Through Apple they’d be able to see who downloaded it, and likely when it was used. Your defense would be easy enough though: “I just wanted to make sure the libs weren’t harassing our fascist patriotic ICE agents near me”
It is impossible to send a push notification to a device without knowing which device it is going to.
Apple/Google know which devices they are sending those pushes to.
The government could just subpoena that information.
He could maybe obfuscate who initiated the initial message, but its impossible to to that for the receivers.
Apps give way too much access to phone data, whether the developer collects it or not. As you said, Apple has access and has capitulated to the Trump fascist regime already. The app leaves enough fingerprint for them to use. A Web app is just a safer and more available option.
This is why Android is far far better than Apple, despite its faults.
Somebody missed the recent announcement 👀
Ice block couldve been a web app
You mean less worse, but worry not, google’s catching up.
Not for long :'(
Yeah, fuck Google.
Fuck Apple but honestly this app is like trying to stay warm with matches in Antarctica.
It’s about as useful as a canary in a coal mine.
A famously useful tool for saving miners from suffocation?
Fuck Apple and I’d prefer matches in Antarctica to no matches in Antarctica.
You might want to read Den Lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne (spoiler alert : it doesn’t work).
I object to fuck-faced people who object to basic acts of decency, safety & freedom.
You see why Google attempting to lock down installing whatever apps you want is a bad idea? This is an example of what will happen.
Oh no, our precise Apple is really a shit company. Tim Cook, just like every other Tech CEO, is a Liberal POS (or just straight republican).
They don’t care about LGBQT+ or the enviornment. They care about money and how much tey can make from stupid people.
Who could have seen this coming from the company whose CEO gifted Trump a literal gold plaque in celebration of his reelection?
Hey, you know nothing about the absurd pressure billionaire CEO’s are unde/sr
“Good thing I got revenge though on Google’s sideloading ban by buying a phone that never allowed it to begin with”
there are technically alternative marketplaces on iOS in the EU, but they do the exact thing google is now copying off apple: apple still has to give the green light
We should make webapps for everythink. When done properly they are as fast as native apps, can work on any device and do not require a dev license or account.
Funny thing: before the App Store, the original plan for the iPhone was that all third-party apps should be webapps.
They’re now supported on Firefox on Android, so good news!
Sweet solution
Completely agreed. Nowadays we even have WASM that can run more advanced things, and may even give w3bapps sandboxed capabilities, and can be run natively on any device with a WASM runtime.
This sucks, and they shouldn’t have to do this, but could they make it a webapp?
Something sensitive like this really should be a PWA (and web app for iOS users)
Keep on buying, y’all. Show 'em we mean business when we’re appalled at their actions. Giving them more money will surely let them know how much we want change!
Everything is objectionable.
Are we ready to admit that giving 3 companies the ability to decide what everyone can and can’t execute on their devices is a massive international problem? This is probably the greatest threat to every country in the world, and the people of the US.
Tim Apple gifting Drumpf a 24 carat Apple logo.gif
Apps are just browsers that can only visit one website. Who cares about them?
iceheadsup@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I made a tool to help with this. It sends encrypted Signal alerts when ICE shows up in your area based on community reports. Honestly been struggling to get the word out because everyone thinks it’s spam, but it’s legit and people are using it. iceheadsup.com Please check it out or share with someone it could help.
RandAlThor@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
hey Can you post this in c/technology?