this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2023
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[–] [email protected] 61 points 1 year ago (8 children)

I wanted to try Boost then saw the data collection and noped out.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you pay for ad-free the admob library isn't loaded

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago

I just used my play store credit. Easy peasy lemon squeezy

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago

It's literally less than most cups of coffee to correct that issue forever. Ad supported software is standard practice for the last 20+ years, having the option to cheaply opt out of it completely is actually uncommon and shouldn't be completely glossed over like it doesn't matter.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's bloody brilliant. Better than any of the other apps I tried.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I'm glad you enjoy it. I'm not going to gatekeep what apps people use.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yeah I'm more than willing to pay for apps, but I hate spyware. I wish instead of ads there was just like a $5-10 price, or a subscription of like $2 a month or something along those lines. (Idk what the actual cost to develop the app is, I'm just spitballing prices)

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

With a capital F

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you hate ads, but you also don't want to pay a subscription, then what you're really saying is "fuck developers".

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Fuck developers who implement subscription services

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The data collection is just for the ad-supported version.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ok that's a little better than I thought it was. However it is still proprietary, so you just have to trust the dev collection is turned off.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

And the developers of those ad libraries that the dev uses, too. Have a look at my other comment: https://sh.itjust.works/comment/3783324

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Are the advertising libraries completely removed from the paid version, or is it just about not placing ads on the UI?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The ad library is only used when it is calling for ads. The paid version doesn't call that library, so it isn't present at all. The developer addresses this on another post.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I haven't yet looked into the lemmy client, but they don't necessarily have to call any function in that library for it to be active.

On one hand, there are the class variables in Java. When a class variable (a static one) has a value assigned at the place where the variable is declared, and the assignment is the result of a function call, afaik that will run when the class is loaded, which is basically every time the app is run. Same with static blocks.

On the other hand, on Android an app can have components that are automatically run in certain conditions, and which can be added by any programming library you have added to your project.
One such type of component is the BroadcastReceiver. These are mostly run on certain events broadcasted inside the app or through the whole system, but now I don't find whether any of those that Boost reddit uses are started by systemwide broadcasts. The other is the ContentProvider. These are started every time the app's process starts, but otherwise unconditionally. It's common for ad and tracking code to misuse this kind of components for being active as much as possible. Looking at the Boost reddit app, along others it has the following:

  • com.applovin.sdk.AppLovinInitProvider
  • com.google.android.gms.ads.MobileAdsInitProvider
  • com.google.firebase.provider.FirebaseInitProvider (I think if you disable this one, the app won't even work anymore, like with most other apps. Not like if disabling components would worth much, as this is not a privacy feature but a technical one, and the apps themselves can manage this)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

That's bog standard admob. If you have ANY app with ads on your phone you have already agreed to all of that so it's moot.

I just paid for it the moment I bought it because I want to support Ruben. Fantastic dev overall, anytime I had an issue with the reddit version he personal would respond and either patch it himself or already have an answer

The paid version doesn't have admob library

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Ppl said the same about Sync but I'm still using it after using my play credit to pay for the ad free version 🤷🏻‍♂️

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

All that is removed with the pro version, but I understand the hesitation.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Lol I'm sure you have an app on your phone that does worse

Hell, Android itself probably does worse lmao

[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 year ago

We do what we can. Privacy is not go full on paranoid or go home. I might have worse data collecting pos apps that I definitely need on my device but I at least use FOSS softwares from Fdroid whenever I can. It helps.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)