On 6/28/2024 9:54 PM, Andrew wrote:
> Do the non-Apple common consumer operating systems (android, linux,
> win10/win11) work WITHOUT logging into the mothership mainframe servers?
>
> My only question to the non-Apple newsgroups is whether or not it is a true
> statement of mine that no other common consumer operating system (not even
> Windows 11) requires a mothership tracking account for basic functionality
> (certainly I am well aware Android does not require it).
>
> Is my statement correct for all the non-Apple common consumer systems?
> Q: Does any non-Apple common OS require a mothership account for the
> basic functionality of the operating system that people love about it?
>
> That's all I ask to flesh out here, as I care only about the truth.
>
> I will only respond to those who stick to the topic of whether the
> non-Apple operating systems ALSO are set up on the dumb-terminal model
> (with the inherent loss of privacy, particularly in meta-data collection).
>
> Below is simply a note I wrote today, in response to a question on the
> Apple iOS newsgroup about what happens if you DENY Apple's daily requests
> to log into their mainframe servers in order to obtain basic iOS
> functionality (which I did on two iPads for two years and Apple bricked
> them at the conclusion of those two years of refusing to log into Apple).
>
> ===< Please cut below for the content of the message I wrote for iOS >===
> From: Andrew <andrew@spam.net>
> Newsgroups: misc.phone.mobile.iphone,comp.sys.mac.system,comp.mobile.ipad
> Subject: Re: Ignoring requests for Apple ID
> Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2024 04:44:43 -0000 (UTC)
> Message-ID: <v5o3fr$148g$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com>
> X-Newsreader: PiaoHong.Usenet.Client.Free:1.65
>
> Your Name wrote on Sat, 29 Jun 2024 16:11:51 +1200 :
>
> > On 2024-06-29 01:29:59 +0000, <bp@www.zefox.net> said:
> >>
> >> For some time the iPhone6 I carry for emergencies has asked
> >> for my apple ID. I always touch "not now" and go about my
> >> business. So far, there hasn't been any repercussion and
> >> the phone works when I need it.
> >>
> >> Why is the phone asking, and will something bad happen, like the
> >> phone not working, if I keep hitting "not now"?
> >>
> >> Thanks for reading,
> >>
> >> bob prohaska
> >
> > Shouldn't be any problem, but there are many reasons why it might be
> > asking for it, so you may want to look into why it keeps asking. Apple
> > ID is required for things like iCloud features, updating of apps of
> > iOS, recent changes to your Touch ID or Face ID, etc., etc.
>
> When you buy an Apple product - you buy into the dumb-terminal ecosystem.
>
> Worse, you buy into Apple storing huge amounts of your metadata on the net!
> *I asked Apple for all my data. Here's what was sent back*
> <https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-data-collection-stored-request/>
>
> These files "contain metadata, like when and who I messaged or called on
> FaceTime" which is a privacy flaw inherent in the dumb-terminal model.
>
> For example, Apple unilaterally inserts, into every IPA you install, a
> *unique* code specific only to you so that Apple can track app activity.
>
> For example, Apple keeps a copy of every app and song you have ever
> downloaded and every tune you've ever added to your iTunes music library.
>
> Most users are completely unaware there is no common consumer operating
> system other than Apple's which require you to constantly log into their
> mothership servers for the basic functionality you know & love about iOS.
>
> And Apple never advertises the huge amount of data it stores about you.
> ���*Apple took 8 days to give me the data it had collected on me. It was
> eye opening*
> ���<https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2018/05/04/asked-apple-everything-had-me-heres-what-got/558362002/>
>
> Apple uses some of this immense data to"sell targeted ads based on our
> interests in the News and App Store apps" (see that in the references cited
> since most of the Apple religious zealots hate all truths about Apple).
>
> 1. The walled garden does not work if you don't log into Apple servers.
> 2. There are *many* Apple servers you need to log into for it to work.
> 3. There's the iCloud & the Apple AppStore, Messages, Facetime, etc.
>
> On two separate iPads, I have refused to log into those accounts, and what
> happens, naturally, is you are eventually unable to use the walled garden.
> <https://i.postimg.cc/LXzB3Lc0/appleid01.jpg> Apple _forces_ a log in!
> <https://i.postimg.cc/ZR5mZ287/appleid07.jpg> Apple fails App Store test
> <https://i.postimg.cc/TwN6P0QR/appleid08.jpg> Only Apple requires a login
> <https://i.postimg.cc/8k3GQyj4/appleid09.jpg> Apple tracks your activity
> <https://i.postimg.cc/hhFNJ5mq/appleid010.jpg> Apps become non functional
> <https://i.postimg.cc/nrFHSvby/appleid11.jpg> Apple _forces_ extra logins!
> <https://i.postimg.cc/Y9kkj19v/appleid12.jpg> Apple tracking server login
>
> But you can use "some" of the features of the walled garden; just not all.
> <https://i.postimg.cc/9XtgRz0y/mothership01.jpg> Apple forces verification
> <https://i.postimg.cc/q73jkvWh/mothership02.jpg> into mothership trackers
> <https://i.postimg.cc/7hmNBGJc/mothership03.jpg> Safari & Chrome work fine
> <https://i.postimg.cc/GhmK4QZ1/mothership04.jpg> So does Youtube work fine
> <https://i.postimg.cc/vBv7BghB/mothership05.jpg> No problem with web pages
> <https://i.postimg.cc/xjtyVmqp/mothership06.jpg> The walled garden fails
> <https://i.postimg.cc/ht79m3sN/mothership07.jpg> iMessage garden fails
> <https://i.postimg.cc/5tBL7YZ3/mothership08.jpg> FaceTime garden fails
> <https://i.postimg.cc/Y09FCXjn/mothership09.jpg> App Store finds 1Blocker
> <https://i.postimg.cc/tC869Nbk/mothership10.jpg> App Store installs apps
> <https://i.postimg.cc/FKVkgtLC/mothership11.jpg> But it won't do iCloud
>
> Which means, Apple designed iOS as a "dumb terminal" which gets much of its
> beloved functionality only by logging into Apple's mainframe servers for
> most of the beloved walled-garden functionality - without which - the iOS
> device reverts to a dumb terminal that can't do what you love about iOS.
>
> Paradoxically, while all the beloved walled-garden functionality eventually
> disappears after about two years (tested on two different iPads) of
> refusing to log into the walled-garden Apple servers, the one functionality
> that remained was the capability of updating your operating system version.
> <https://i.postimg.cc/hvhgB91S/update01.jpg> iPadOS 16.3.1 is available
> <https://i.postimg.cc/Qtfsw654/update02.jpg> 16.3.1 Update Requested
> <https://i.postimg.cc/vmLGL8md/update03.jpg> About 10 minutes remaining
> <https://i.postimg.cc/d11gkJk6/update04.jpg> Preparing Update
> <https://i.postimg.cc/rw1B7n21/update05.jpg> Downloaded
> <https://i.postimg.cc/yN7MKm7w/update06.jpg> Finish Setting Up iPad
> <https://i.postimg.cc/13DSsRwN/update07.jpg> More for your iPad
> <https://i.postimg.cc/Xv80B22j/update08.jpg> Update Apple ID Settings
> <https://i.postimg.cc/TYLGNJP0/update09.jpg> iPadOS Version 16.3.1
> <https://i.postimg.cc/L509Yy8Y/update10.jpg> Sign in to iCloud
> <https://i.postimg.cc/zvfDfm8Y/update11.jpg> Finished Setting up iPad
> <https://i.postimg.cc/Z5Nbnxtn/update12.jpg> Verifying update...
>
> In summary, of all common consumer operating systems (including Windows
> 11), only the Apple operating systems are designed essentially as dumb
> terminals which don't do what you love about them without logging into the
> mainframe servers, of which you are logged into them 24/7/365 while
> enjoying Apple products.
>
> Clearly Apple never advertises that most of the genius of the walled garden
> is simply that the user is making use of these Internet services, all of
> which are tracked in detail and every one of which contains privacy
> metadata which can be detrimental to your privacy & which is saved by
> Apple.
>
> When you buy an Apple product - you buy into the dumb-terminal ecosystem.
>
> Here's a snippet of the information Apple maintains due to the inherently
> flawed nature (from a privacy standpoint) of the dumb-terminal iOS model.
>
> AccountDetails.xlsx contains basic information about the account holder,
> including name, address, phone number, and Apple ID information. It also
> includes when an account was created and IP address of the Apple server
> used to open the account.
>
> iCloudLogs.xlsx keeps a note on every time one of your devices downloads
> data from iCloud, including your photo library, contacts, and Safari
> browsing history -- but doesn't contain the actual data.
>
> MailLogs.xlsx also keeps a record of each time something from your Apple
> device interacts with your iCloud email account, but no email content is
> stored here.
>
> Two more files relate to Apple's flagship end-to-end encrypted messaging
> apps, FaceTime and iMessage. Because even Apple can't access the content of
> encrypted video calls and text messages, Apple can't turn over the data,
> but it can provide information on all the calls and messages that are
> routed through its servers.
>
> In both the FaceTime and IDS (iMessage) logs, notes read that the logs only
> indicate if there was an attempt to place a FaceTime call or to send an
> iMessage, because both requests are sent through Apple's servers. But
> neither log whether the call was made or message was sent, let alone if it
> was successful.
>
> In a separate folder, another batch of Excel documents contained
> information mostly pertaining to with my interactions with Apple, like
> downloads and support requests.
>
> AOS Orders contains an entire history of devices and accessories I've
> bought from Apple dating back to my first purchase. It also includes the
> five separate occasions I bought new earphones roughly once per year
> because my cat had chewed through them.
>
> CRM Installed Product is a list of every Apple device ever bought,
> including highly detailed information -- like serial numbers, a note on if
> a device is unlocked, unique networking MAC addresses for Bluetooth,
> Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections, and any other identifying information on a
> device.
>
> Read also: What would Steve Jobs think of today's Apple?
>
> CRM AppleCare Case Contact contains basic contact information on the
> account holder, such as name, address, and phone number -- and if the user
> opts into marketing emails and phone calls.
>
> CRM AppleCare Case Header included every interaction I've had with customer
> support. Every time you call, a company representatives make notes about
> the customer's problem, and also describes the next steps or the outcome of
> the call.
>
> CRM Warranty includes all the information on a device owner's warranty,
> what AppleCare coverage they have -- if any, and when warranties expire.
>
> DS Signons is a long list of every time you logged in to iTunes and from
> which specific device, and contains peripheral information like if the
> login failed.
>
> Game Center predictably contains information on all the gaming sessions a
> user has played or interacted with -- which in my case, as you'd expect, is
> limited to almost zero.
>
> iForgot keeps a log of every time you visited your Apple ID page on the
> web, or reset your password.
>
> iTunes Match Uploads retains a record of every song you've ever uploaded to
> iTunes Match service, which matches your music with higher quality and
> downloads that copy instead. The list also includes your user agent
> information, which can identify your device.
>
> iTunes Match Downloads similarly keeps a list of all matched music that's
> later downloaded from iTunes Match.
>
> iTunes Downloads contains a user's entire download history since the
> account's creation -- from apps, songs, albums, videos, and movies -- from
> the iTunes Store. It also includes information on which device the item was
> downloaded and its IP address.
>
> Repair Transaction Details recounts every time you put in a repair request
> with Apple, and includes information on what the issue is, any notes made
> by Apple staff, and any information that identifies the device, such as a
> phone's IMEI number.
>
> Marketing Contact includes the information that Apple uses to contact you
> for marketing reasons, and the reason why -- such as if the user has a
> developer account.
>
> In summary, the advantage of Apple's dumb-terminal design of iOS is most of
> the magic you love about the walled garden is handled by Internet servers
> (which is why all that is reproduced in Android, only with the addition of
> all platform compatibility - not just Apple platforms - if you're willing
> to log into an Internet server to perform those walled-garden tasks).
>
> The disadvantage of every app you use being tracked by Apple and every
> action being tracked by your Internet login into the mainframe servers,
> is Apple tracks a hellova lot of meta data about you that impacts privacy.
>
> ===< Please cut above for the content of the message I wrote for iOS >===
Andrew,
You must be out of your mind to concern yourself
with this kind of thing.

Bill S.