[Razengan]

> Apple claims to be the champion of privacy

While letting Facebook, TikTok and others secretly track you for years, across devices AND DEVICE REINSTALLS, through Apple's iCloud Keychain API, to store data that users cannot see or delete on iOS, except through the macOS Keychain app, and even then it's dubious if that's all that's actually stored.

[lloeki]

I'm not sure I follow, presumably if these are using the Keychain API they're doing so via the app, to which you must be logged in, so they are already tracking you and the keychain thing achieves... nothing?

[Razengan]

Even if you delete and reinstall the app, it remembers your logins and who you are. Even after you wipe the iPhone/iPad and setup with the same Apple ID/iCloud account.

Discord automatically logged me in ON A NEW IPAD, because I signed into the same Apple ID/iCloud account.

and I assume all the other apps from a company can share that info, like Facebook ↔ WhatsApp

Funnily enough, Apple allowed users to delete that data when deleting an app, during an iOS beta, but removed that feature before release, heavily in favor of the spyware and against users.

[xuki]

The keychain data of an app on iOS is NEVER removed from your device, unless you completely wipe the device. This has been the behavior since the beginning.

[Razengan]

> unless you completely wipe the device.

then it comes back after you sign into the same Apple ID on that device or even a NEW device!

and of course the crap remains on your other devices.

Funnily enough Apple allowed users to delete that shit for a while, during a certain iOS beta, but then backtracked before release.

[microtonal]

There is an interesting prior discussion here:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39635616

[Razengan]

Started by me! No one else seems to know/care over the many years I've been pissed about this :')

[microtonal]

Keep up the good fight!

My personal pet peeve is that a lot of people seem to believe that disabling Allow Apps to Request to Track disables in-app trackers.

Carefully formulated by Apple to give completely the wrong impression (only blocks identifiers like IDFA.)

[jahnu]

Can you link to a good article or post about this?

Thanks!

[Razengan]

I've been ranting about this since 5 years, and every time it mostly just gets ignored. You can Google or ask ChatGPT about the iCloud Keychain API.

And to see for yourself, open the Keychain Access app on your Mac, and search for "Facebook", "TikTok" etc (that data is accessible by those apps on all your other Apple devices too)