MacOS phones home previewing local image files w/ iCloud & analytics turned off: WHY? - Rossmann

[ItsjustMe]

Last edited Wed Jan 18, 2023, 05:50 PM - Edit history (1)

[Raven123]

1. Wow. This is concerning. Anyone have experience with the app Little Snitch discussed in the video

I read the article that was being read in the video. Don’t know anything about these apps. Are are they intuitive? I don’t like being spied upon, but an app that isn’t reasonably easy to set up just frustrates me.

[Tetrachloride]

2. in the past, I used Little Snitch

Last edited Wed Jan 18, 2023, 05:36 PM - Edit history (1)

In my view, professionals and skilled aficionados are using it.

The biggest shock to new users is how many connections (outside websites) that a link is accessing.

Second, the user interface is intrusive because there are a LOT of connections.

I recommend more Mac users in DU use it. Cost is not free however after the trial period.

New users can click temporary blocking.

It can be switched off easily but then … of course, its not in use.

A decent “hosts.txt” file will save a lot of Snitch popups.

[Raven123]

4. Thank you

[Tetrachloride]

3. Is there a transcript or something in text besides the video ?

[usonian]

5. Here's more info on probable cause.

The video guy's blog is here.
https://sneak.berlin/20230115/macos-scans-your-local-files-now/
Of course, you have to register a click on his YT page in order to search for it. ($$$)

I also read this:

Apparently, apps were allowed to bypass the firewall in order to remedy bugs in applications which could not be fixed in the usual mad dash to release things before they were ready.

Apple removes feature that allowed its apps to bypass MacOS firewalls and VPNs
The ContentFilterExclusionList has been removed in macOS 11.2 beta 2.
Written by Catalin Cimpanu, Contributor on Jan. 14, 2021
https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-removes-feature-that-allowed-its-apps-to-bypass-macos-firewalls-and-vpns/

Apple said it was temporary
Contacted for comment at the time, Apple told ZDNet the list was temporary but did not provide any details. An Apple software engineer later told ZDNet the list was the result of a series of bugs in Apple apps, rather than anything nefarious from the Cupertino-based company.

The bugs were related to Apple deprecating network kernel extensions (NKEs) in Big Sur and introducing a new system called Network Extension Framework, and Apple engineers not having enough time to iron out all the bugs before the Big Sur launch last fall.

But some of these bugs have been slowly fixed in the meantime, and, yesterday, with the release of MacOS Big Sur 11.2 beta 2, Apple has felt it was safe to remove the ContentFilterExclusionList from the OS code (as spotted by Wardle earlier today).

Once Big Sur 11.2 is released, all Apple apps will once again be subject to firewalls and security tools, and they'll be compatible with VPN apps.

Not saying this is the answer. Busy processing today's photographs, so I am handing this over to the detectives in the group.

[usonian]

6. MORE

https://eclecticlight.co/2023/01/18/is-apple-checking-images-we-view-in-the-finder/

Is Apple checking images we view in the Finder?

This guy did some pretty exhaustive testing.

Conclusions

There is no evidence that local images on a Mac have identifiers computed and uploaded to Apple’s servers when viewed in Finder windows.

Local images that are viewed in QuickLook Preview undergo normal analysis for Live Text, and text recognition where possible, but that doesn’t generate identifiers that could be uploaded to Apple’s servers.

Images viewed in apps supporting VLU have neural hashes computed, and those are uploaded to Apple’s servers to perform look up and return its results to the user, as previously detailed.

VLU can be disabled by disabling Siri Suggestions in System Settings > Siri & Spotlight, as previously explained.