Psylo, which bills itself as a new kind of private web browser, debuted last Tuesday in Apple’s App Store, one day ahead of a report warning about the widespread use of browser fingerprinting for ad tracking and targeting.
It was a fortuitous coincidence.
Psylo for iOS and iPadOS was created by Mysk, a Canada-based app biz run by software developers and security researchers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk.
“Psylo stands out as it is the only WebKit-based iOS browser that truly isolates tabs,” Tommy Mysk told The Register. "It’s not only about separate storage and cookies. Psylo goes beyond that.
“This is why we call tabs ‘silos.’ It applies unique anti-fingerprinting measures per silo, such as canvas randomization. This way two Psylo tabs opening the same website would appear as though they originated on two different devices to the opened website.”
I downloaded the app just to see what the interface looked like and when I got to the app, it turns out that you can’t access the app without automatically signing up for a subscription (even though there’s a free trial period, for me this is clearly a redflag).
Oh cool, a very expensive browser that you can never own! /s
My first thought was standardization. Install all the fonts in the world (or only say you have the default Windows fonts installed), lie about the OS and say you use Windows 11, pick a standard canvas, etc.
Randomization, that is also an approach that can work too, and probably with basically no compromises except having your activity be frequently flagged as suspicious by Proton Mail, presumably.
„We ArE sOOoO pRivAtE“
Based on closed source Webengine running on OS known for data collection™
Exactly my thoughts, unfortunately my first thoughts when reading UNIQUE and INNOVATIVE technology these days are - ok it’s likely bullshit.
yep
Like, you want to actually contribute against fingerprinting? Make a repo with documentation on how you want to achieve it and publish a firefox fork as example.
If you want change in the software world, you have to make a blueprint everyone can use or at least get an idea and let them have the freedom of implementing it their own way
I thought webkit was gtk?
WebKit is its own rendering engine that is open source
https://webkit.org/licensing-webkit/
but thats just the rendering engine. How https://developer.apple.com/documentation/webkit/wkwebview integrates WebKit is closed source
Still, it wouldn’t be in their interest to gather data
running on OS known for data collection™
What? You mean Android?
Still, it wouldn’t be in their interest to gather data
My sources say otherwise.. Apple has an interest in collecting your data.
What? You mean Android?
I know this is not really a thing where you come from, but here on lemmy we read the OPs text first before commenting, which also would have answered all your questions, but if you really need it: The Browser is based on Propriatery Apple Software and only runs on it
My sources say otherwise… Apple has an interest in collecting your data.
It does for sure, but it will always be far less aggressive about it than Google. Most sensitive data is either stored in device and semi-handled there, or quickly deleted (although we know everything that goes to a USA server is likely stored forever)
A lot of this data can be opted out on installation, which can’t really be said for Android iirc
Android also runs Google play services and their other proprietary software with root access on your device, push the Play Integrity API which essentially locks out devices that don’t run their software with root access or dare to use non authorized roms (non authorized you say? Hmm… really similar to Apple…)
Both OS suck big time and I can only hope Android and Apple are freed from the BS done by their owners, and app devs finally stop discriminating users for caring about their data and privacy
but here on lemmy we read the OPs text first before commenting, which also would have answered all your questions
This went over your head. I know the post was about Apple and I was pointing out that android is likely worse for privacy
I know this is not really a thing where you come from
Personal attacks. You love to see it. Really shows the kind of person you are. Why opt for verbal violence and try to discredit me?
GrapheneOS
It pretty much just sandboxes google play services. You still need to use it for many things and you can see it’s deeply integrated in many places.
My main point is
Android also runs Google play services
is incorrect as a general statement about Android. I used GrapheneOS as an example but there are plenty of other Android ROMs that also don’t come with Google Play Services or any Google at all.
https://lemmy.super.ynh.fr/comment/363277
you need to use (and install it) to use the vast majority of apps
False.Graphene does not have Gservices installed by default
Did I say it did? Maybe I worded it wrong but I meant that you need to use (and install it) to use the vast majority of apps, and it’s deeply integrated, in the play store and apps… and affects many parts of android
If you do install it, which you probably will unless you’re okay with living 10 years in the past and losing time, then you’re pretty much back to square one
but it will always be far less aggressive about it than Google
Whataboutism. Browser advertises itself as privacy respecting, yet builds on a non Privacy respecting OS. If they really wanted to protect the user, they would be open source, (at least the methods of protecting the user from tracking) firefox based and availible for linux and Android FOSS, similar to everything else (Firefox, Molly, Signal, etc). My whole Comment was about how they advertise themselves as Private, yet fail to address the most basic privacy concerns, essentially being an oxymoron. This was not about „which OS is less evil“ but „why did they not opt for the not at all evil?“
Android also runs Google play services
False. AOSP does not have Gservices, and has enough forks for hardware (Linaege, Graphene, Calyx, /e/)
Both OS suck big time
See my point about AOSP.
I know the post was about Apple
So you just posted some random comment just because?
and I was pointing out that android is likely worse for privacy
Also false, see my Point about AOSP.
yet builds on a non Privacy respecting OS
What would be the alternative? Android is also a non privacy respecting OS and is even worse.
firefox based and availible for linux and Android FOSS
That’s nice, but no one uses android FOSS and everyone is using google play services. Firefox is also not very privacy respecting but that’s out of the subject anyways.
False. AOSP does not have Gservices, and has enough forks for hardware (Linaege, Graphene, Calyx, /e/)
Yes, and it’s not usable for your everyday life. Enjoy running less than 10% apps on the market. All forks add Google Play services support because it’s pretty much mandatory nowadays.
So you just posted some random comment just because?
I’m just going to write again what I wrote
This went over your head. I know the post was about Apple and I was pointing out that android is likely worse for privacy
because you made it seem like Apple was a bad solution and as there’s only android left, you made it seem like it was privacy respecting
Also false, see my Point about AOSP.
I disagree, see my point about AOSP too
btw google are making aosp harder to use now, see grapheneos’s post
All of your Points are either already answered by me, ad hominem, or random assumptions without data backing it up.
random assumptions without data backing it up
Be my guest, uninstall GPServices and see. It’s known that all mainstream apps require it. Things like youtube obviously, and all google apps, uber, lyft, reddit, bank apps, discord (unsure), mcdonalds, burger king, yuka… many smaller apps and many games as well. If they work by luck, then you likely won’t have notifications. There’s no easy database for this and you probably know it
Then, for the privacy points, then you also know google’s privacy policy. Google play services is closed source, so yea, good luck finding proof for this, just like for apple
ad hominem
where? Criticizing something specific inherently implies there is a better alternative, or you wouldn’t be focused specifically on apple. I’m saying android is not and AOSP is not viable due to being an outdated user experience and supporting much much less apps and features, as well as not really being used without play services
I have read the article and honestly compared to others considering the times we live in it’s really not that bad (it is bad, don’t get me wrong).
That said I really miss my Nokia 3210…
android is another one
Agreed
I’ll still argue that Apple is on paper less bad than Android, but being closed-source we never know, especially since they are willing to lie to protect their interests. They’re often hit with FUD though.
We really need the ‘freedom’ of android and the aesthetics and ‘ease of use’ of ios, without the proprietary bullshit, vendor lock-in and the privacy nightmare
Just use a custom rom already.
You’ll either end up installing google play services which will put you in a similar privacy nightmare, although it might not run as root anymore, or not use it and be locked out of the vast majority of apps, and at this point that’s not a modern smartphone anymore
Well, microg (even if it has some proprietary blobs) + you can disable the nonpriviliged gms on graphene.
microg might be the best bet but isn’t it a pain to make it work with graphene? Graphene pushes sandboxed services
All apps doing store verifications will keep you out though, and that’s annoying. Fuck the play integrity api
