Instagram app no longer lets you post stories without allowing camera and mic access on ios

skuzz , 9 minutes ago

I’ve wondered for quite a while if there was ever any truth to the rumors that Meta apps “listen” to people. It doesn’t make logical sense, as the OS should expose they are doing it. Unless they had API access to allow microphone access without triggering the microphone icon. These companies have had API access in the past, like when Uber had full screen display capture access, and Meta definitely has some agreements with the fruit company to access some kinds of data. Or, when iOS first introduced the location tracking symbol in the status bar, I was able to write a program that allowed gathering of location access without actually triggering the icon.

Most of the time, the events can be explained away by knowing how adtech works, like, I was drinking a beverage, a friend asked what it was, the next day I started getting ads for it.

In that case:

• They were on my wifi network
• They picked up their phone when they were asking about it and did an Internet search
• So once the GeoIP was cross-referenced across ad providers, the IP started being targeted for those ads, makes sense

Some stories I’ve heard are more strange.

It does make me wonder if it was true the whole time, but they now have to ask for permission.

Don’t use the platforms myself or I’d try and set up a test experiment.

Shady_Shiroe , 17 minutes ago

I only use Instagram to look at the reels my family sends me, I don’t allow myself to use it for anything else because you can easily waste 2 hours and feel miserable afterwards. What I like about Lemmy is I can get through all new posts for the day in at most 20 mins and maybe learn about some interesting while I’m at it.

solsangraal , 40 minutes ago

gee, guess i’ll just have to continue never using it, then…

Ghostalmedia , 1 hour ago

If they don’t already have rules about this, Google and Apple should update their store rules to prevent this crap.

morgunkorn , 1 hour ago

Instagram no longer allowed to be installed on my phone, how is that for a deal, Meta?

reddig33 , 1 hour ago

I wonder if saving the website as an app would work around this restriction?

reallykindasorta OP , 50 minutes ago

This does appear to be a functional workaround atm (the mobile website via safari app allows me to post photos to stories) but the editor is severely gimped so you can’t resize images and such. Desktop version doesn’t seem to allow you to post stories at all. If I NEED to share something perhaps I’ll use this.

rockSlayer , 1 hour ago

Consider pixelfed, the fediverse alternative to Instagram

occultist8128 , 1 hour ago

all meta’s apps are suck ngl. i hate the way i can’t paste image from clipboard in whatsapp chat without giving whatsapp permission to manage my storage.

possiblylinux127 , 1 hour ago

iOS plus Facebook

The “dream” combo

tal , 2 hours ago

I believe that there’s some app out there for Android that lets one create a spoofed environment for apps that demand certain permissions to function. Returns bogus data to them. Might require a rooted device, though.

goes looking

Yeah.

I think I’m thinking of XPrivacyLua, which requires Xposed, which in turn requires a rooted device.

EDIT: all that being said, I do think that if practicable, it is kind of an argument to use something other than Instagram, and more broadly, to try to keep use on a personal computer rather than phone, where it’s easier to deal with or avoid shennanigans like this.

possiblylinux127 , 1 hour ago

Technically Graphene OS can do this

RangerJosie , 2 hours ago

I installed it earlier this year on android. But it wouldn’t let me sign in or browse without syncing my contacts from my phone.

So I uninstalled it.

possiblylinux127 , 1 hour ago

That is the healthy choice