Hacker News Reader

Comment by crazygringo | Hacker News Reader

The more important question is, what are Apple and Google doing allowing apps write access to a user's address book??

I can't believe anyone at Facebook was dumb enough to think this was a good idea. But at the same time, I can't believe some "rogue engineer" did this by accident. I'm curious to see what Facebook says about it.

View on HN

They have to allow write access to some applications otherwise there can be no third-party address book apps. If there was such a permission, you can bet that facebook would have asked for it by default. You can also be sure that hundreds of millions of people would have granted it and we would be seeing the exact same problem.

The root of the problem is facebook. The important questions should be directed at facebook. We can look to Apple or Google for help, but ultimately when we install an application, we grant it our trust and Facebook routinely tramples all over it. Turns out that it's a winning strategy.

This is a very good explanation. But it also points out that the permission system is not really helping when you want background info on what's going on - you and I know this info from a background in development. Take a look at the permissions for google maps on android as an illustration.

iOS 6 beta now prompts for permission to allow access the address book - the same way you get prompted now for gps or notification permissions when apps request it.

I noticed a lot of those permission alerts, over and over.

Android has a feature where you can indicate that contacts from disparate services are actually the same person. For example, I have my friend Chris in my Android directory, my Gmail directory, on Facebook and on Twitter. Within my contact list, I am able to specify that these are actually all the same person. They're still separate contacts from each service though, they're just grouped together in my phone's directory.

I suspect that the problem being described happens when the only source of someone's email address was the Facebook contact, as I doubt that, e.g., a Facebook contact would overwrite someone Gmail contacts. At this point it's not clear, however.

I think you're right. If this is only changing addresses that only have Facebook as a source, then it's not really a problem with the phone. But if it's changing addresses that are in your Gmail contacts (say) then it's a serious problem. Worse if the change then propagates from your phone to your Gmail!

I think someone needs to confirm exactly what's happening here.

It sounds like this is iOS's built-in Facebook integration that was blindly trusting Facebook's data.

FB integration isn't coming until the fall - it is currently only available in developer builds of iOS 6.

Are any of the iOS complaints coming from people who aren't running iOS 6 dev builds?

iOS6 is still in Beta. be nice to see Apple haul Facebook through the hot coals (?) for this.

anyone else think Apple and Facebook make interesting partners? They're both doing their best to get users into their own domains to the exclusion of all else

There's an important difference that I think you're eliding. People who use Apple devices and services, are Apple's customers; people who use Facebook services are Facebook's product. The former are not always treated ideally, but the money flows from them to Apple, so Apple is preoccupied with how to make their long-term experience better - e.g., to ensure that they'll continue to be disposed to give Apple money. The latter are digital sharecroppers, to use Atwood's phrase, and Facebook has repeatedly demonstrated that it doesn't give a shit about making their long-term experience better.

iOS6's settings allow you to block individual apps from accessing your address book.

In iOS6 any app that wants to access your address book or calendar has to request permission. It's very much like how an app requests permission to send push notifications in iOS5.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com