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Tapatalk wants permission to "access my photos". What does this mean exactly?

Discussion in 'Mobile App Support' started by telemnemonics, Dec 31, 2018.

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  1. Dec 31, 2018 #1
    telemnemonics

    telemnemonics Doctor of Teleocity Ad Free Member

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    What does "access my photos" mean?
    In the old TDPRI mobile app I took a pic from my photos and put it on the TDPRI.
    The app did not ask to access my photos.
    My assumption is that the TDPRI app did not have to go into my photos, but rather allowed one photo to go from my photos to the TDPRI.
    I do not want Tapatalk going into my photos.
    I would however like to have one photo at a time go into Tapatalk/ TDPRI.
    Does "allow Tapatalk to access your photos" mean the app can go into my photo program and see or search images?
    Two possible uses: While I doubt Tapatalk would post or publish any of my photos without my permission, I do not want Tapatalk going through my photos for the purpose of data mining, like to search my other interests and then target ads that suit those interests. Sorry, just not willing to give up that level of privacy for marketing. Also not willing to give up the bandwidth involved in accessing more than one photo being uploaded.

    Is it not possible to let a single photo out without letting an internet marketing business into my photos?
    Seems like a fair question.

    I looked in the Tapatalk terms and conditions, privacy policy page, and found no specific mention of Tapatalks access and possible rights to search my photos and videos.

    Here's the privacy policy page.
    Is there another page that explains my intellectual property rights, and the degree to which Tapatalk can "access my photos"? I just want to know what permission I am giving.
    I know that a pic I post becomes public, it's the pics I don't post that I'm asking about.

    https://www.tapatalk.com/privacy_policy
     
  2. Dec 31, 2018 #2
    Finck

    Finck Tele-Afflicted

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    Everytime I install a new Android app that works with pictures in any way, I have to grant it access to the gallery. As an example, an app intended to retouch pictures previously taken needs access to the gallery, otherwise it couldn't open any picture. It doesn't mean that the app will pick all my photos and spread them everywhere (at least, that's my hope...).
     
  3. Dec 31, 2018 #3
    telemnemonics

    telemnemonics Doctor of Teleocity Ad Free Member

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    I have used apps that requested access and others that did not request access.

    There are ways to send data out without letting a host into the program containing the data to be sent.

    But data is dollars and free access is free dollars.

    The lack of details on what Tapatalk is allowed to do is not reassuring.
     
  4. Dec 31, 2018 #4
    Uncle_Battuh

    Uncle_Battuh TDPRI Member

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    "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not after you."
     
    zephyrR1, BorderRadio and telemnemonics like this.
  5. Dec 31, 2018 #5
    telemnemonics

    telemnemonics Doctor of Teleocity Ad Free Member

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    Looking deeper I note that "my photos" on my ipad are in icloud.
    My ipad has 16 gigs of storage so it does not store my photos on the device.
    In order to access "my photos", one needs to access my icloud storage.

    When i go to upload a pic from my ipad, the ipad downloads that photo from icloud to ipad. But in order for a server to access "my photos", the server would need access to my icloud acct while I am signed in.

    The difference between "my photos on my device" and "my photos in the cloud" is significant.
    But when my device is signed into and accessing my icloud acct, the stream between my device and my icloud acct is open.

    Hence I need to know what permission is being asked.
     
  6. Dec 31, 2018 #6
    BorderRadio

    BorderRadio Poster Extraordinaire Silver Supporter

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    Deny the request, done and done. At least the app is making you aware front and center that it’s full use requires access to your gallery. No one can be sure anyone is trying to gain access to your gallery, but you know, so many people, so little time. I personally think that’s overly paranoid. My iPad and phone gallery aren’t holding any kind of national security info anyways :)

    I deleted Tapatalk this month after two years of inactivity. I only use the browser to access this site, phone or otherwise. What does Tapatalk do that a browser can’t? Maybe for those rare pic posts, you log on the browser and do your stuff there?
     
  7. Dec 31, 2018 #7
    telemnemonics

    telemnemonics Doctor of Teleocity Ad Free Member

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    Yeah I declined for now because I don't sign contracts without reading them first, and there was no contract text in the "allow access" box!

    I can't say I have pics in my icloud acct that are incriminating or even embarrassing (well, maybe the one of me in a kilt), but I'm not interested in providing that much access of pics, and I'm certainly not willing to allow a website to access my icloud acct, which is where the pics are stored.

    But posting pics on the forum is a nice way to communicate, particularly since they often involve stuff i do in the workshop that pertains to stuff others ask for help with.
    Since the TDPRI mobile app did not ask for permission to access my photos, I assume the data went out, without allowing the server to come in. Could be wrong!

    Since the server and ownership change, the TDPRI mobile app no longer allows me to upload pics. I asked and tapatalk explained that the TDPRI app is outdated.

    One thing for certain, terms and conditions should clearly state what access is granted!
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2018
  8. Dec 31, 2018 #8
    Peregrino69

    Peregrino69 Tele-Afflicted Silver Supporter

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    To be able to upload a photo from your device using an app you have to give the app a permission to access the photo storage of your device. If it doesn't have the permission you cannot upload a photo since the app isn't allowed to access that storage. The basic thing is as simple as this.

    Yes, if you give the app a permission and someone hijacks that app, that someone can then access the photos using permissions granted to the app. No, granting this permission does not make all your images public. And it does not grant some marketing machine access to your photos. Only the app.

    You are right, there's a difference in "access my device" and "access my cloud storage". However Apple is a bit different. If there is no local storage for pictures but everything's uploaded directly to the cloud, Apple may well consider the cloud a part of the device and consequently permission to access the pictures equals permission to access the cloud storage containing the pictures.

    Tapatalk's Privacy Policy section "What information we collect" mentions just standard stuff, device, browser and location info. Your photos do not fall under any of these. The information is collected using standard web technologies. I don't think it's even possible to browse your photos using "standard web technologies", at least not the ones mentioned.

    Now Tapatalk's if not the only, by far the most used application for accessing Internet forums, both on IOS and Android. The way I understand it, it's essentially just another type of web browser; hence the usage of "standard web technologies". I've never heard of it being used the way you describe. I've never heard of anyone hijacking Tapatalk either. If it did happen, I'm pretty certain someone (at least in the Android community) would have blown the whistle. There's a lot of very security-conscious people working on this kind of issues.
     
    telemnemonics likes this.
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