I realize this is ostensibly to enable a security feature, but if your threat model includes American software companies & oligarchs tracking what you do on your computer, it’s still something to be aware of.
So the other explanation is that apple announced a few years ago that they were going to scan people’s devices for known CSAM hashes and report any matches to authorities.
This was only for icloud photos, and the reason they were considering that was to keep your photos encrypted in the cloud. this way the photos are analyzed locally on your device and kept private, unless they are found to be problematic obviously.
It surely just isn’t this one deamon. Despite “mediaanalysisd” sounds highly threatening to me. Especially if you aren’t allowed to disable it. How i would hate that on MY computer. Surely better than windows, where 5198231 services do that of which you can only disable 99%.
If you use ANY service in the apple cloud though, your data is, by definition, unsafe. If you don’t, you’re probably not the run-of-the-mill-apple-user that knows which service does what.
mediaanalysisd isn’t mysterious. It’s a ML process that evaluates your photos and videos and generates description metadata to make them text-searchable. It’s what allows you to search your photos for “flowers” and see all the photos with flowers in them.
But yes, it’s an inefficient and buggy process. I think it’s also what makes text selectable in images, which is why it is always running. Since we’re living through a RAM apocalypse you would think that Apple would find ways of making always-on processes more efficient.
I wouldn’t say it’s more private or transparent than android or winblows. But even if there’d be zero evidence, which walled garden is private? And especially transparent? Which Apple-service could you use totally 100% anonymous?
Sure, you CAN restrict mac better and kinda minimize data-harvesting. As long as you also not use all their oh-so-comfortable-services…But who does? The same that use a highly modified winblows that firewall the rest of harvesting off.
What about Siri, spotlight, safari, analytics, malware updates, crash reports, and especially: icloud. Or the newer AI-crap?
And honestly, I’ve never heard a mac-user be concerned for privacy. They prefer simplicity and “it just works!”.
Users often ask / let me turn those off for them. Except spotlight local-to-disc, plus system updates, but if the user is savvy at all I ask if they would like notifications instead of auto install.
The iCloud stuff that is hard to let go is usually the calendar/contacts/reminders, and substitutes are poor usability. I’m often surprised at how easily they give up photo syncing for ‘I’ll just use a cable.’
fb messenger, though, once people are locked into that, it’s hard to escape, especially for boomers.
I understand the thought process, It’s the same one that leads people to say things like why do you care if people spy you already carry around a wiretap everywhere.
I just disagree with it, I understand things are bad and that software spying on us is ubiquitous but that’s why we need to fight back wherever we can
I partially agree. Though there is less and less we could do with each coming year :(
To me personally though, you either do care for privacy or you don’t. Why even bother doing it a lil? Boycotting WhatsApp but installing some Alexas at home? Would feel like defeat to me. Giving up.
If I would be in there for upvotes, I would’ve said how great MacOS is, and how much i love the apple :-)
But thanks, have one back to outweigh the maclovers.
MacOS already is one big spyware, why would anyone care of another one 😁
Honest question; in what way is it spyware and do you have references?
From everything I’ve ever seen, macOS is more transparent and controllable than Windows or Android.
I’d still recommend Linux but if I were forced to use a mainstream commercial OS (e.g. for work), I’d pick macOS over anything else except FOSS.
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Another example is that macOS periodically sends records of which apps you’re opening to Apple, due to OCSP cert revocation checks: https://www.howtogeek.com/701176/does-apple-track-every-mac-app-you-run-ocsp-explained/
I realize this is ostensibly to enable a security feature, but if your threat model includes American software companies & oligarchs tracking what you do on your computer, it’s still something to be aware of.
Mine surely does. Especially US-american.
This was only for icloud photos, and the reason they were considering that was to keep your photos encrypted in the cloud. this way the photos are analyzed locally on your device and kept private, unless they are found to be problematic obviously.
It surely just isn’t this one deamon. Despite “mediaanalysisd” sounds highly threatening to me. Especially if you aren’t allowed to disable it. How i would hate that on MY computer. Surely better than windows, where 5198231 services do that of which you can only disable 99%.
If you use ANY service in the apple cloud though, your data is, by definition, unsafe. If you don’t, you’re probably not the run-of-the-mill-apple-user that knows which service does what.
mediaanalysisd isn’t mysterious. It’s a ML process that evaluates your photos and videos and generates description metadata to make them text-searchable. It’s what allows you to search your photos for “flowers” and see all the photos with flowers in them.
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Sorry! I entirely missed that!
But yes, it’s an inefficient and buggy process. I think it’s also what makes text selectable in images, which is why it is always running. Since we’re living through a RAM apocalypse you would think that Apple would find ways of making always-on processes more efficient.
Every US company is spyware after the US Cloud Act got into law in 2018.
I wouldn’t say it’s more private or transparent than android or winblows. But even if there’d be zero evidence, which walled garden is private? And especially transparent? Which Apple-service could you use totally 100% anonymous?
Sure, you CAN restrict mac better and kinda minimize data-harvesting. As long as you also not use all their oh-so-comfortable-services…But who does? The same that use a highly modified winblows that firewall the rest of harvesting off. What about Siri, spotlight, safari, analytics, malware updates, crash reports, and especially: icloud. Or the newer AI-crap?
And honestly, I’ve never heard a mac-user be concerned for privacy. They prefer simplicity and “it just works!”.
Users often ask / let me turn those off for them. Except spotlight local-to-disc, plus system updates, but if the user is savvy at all I ask if they would like notifications instead of auto install.
The iCloud stuff that is hard to let go is usually the calendar/contacts/reminders, and substitutes are poor usability. I’m often surprised at how easily they give up photo syncing for ‘I’ll just use a cable.’
fb messenger, though, once people are locked into that, it’s hard to escape, especially for boomers.
I understand the thought process, It’s the same one that leads people to say things like why do you care if people spy you already carry around a wiretap everywhere.
I just disagree with it, I understand things are bad and that software spying on us is ubiquitous but that’s why we need to fight back wherever we can
I partially agree. Though there is less and less we could do with each coming year :(
To me personally though, you either do care for privacy or you don’t. Why even bother doing it a lil? Boycotting WhatsApp but installing some Alexas at home? Would feel like defeat to me. Giving up.
You’re confusing MacOS with Windows…
You’re confusing corporate hegemonies in bed with an ultra-corrupt federal government for software that would respect someone’s privacy.
Certainly am not. I predate both actually.
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If I would be in there for upvotes, I would’ve said how great MacOS is, and how much i love the apple :-) But thanks, have one back to outweigh the maclovers.